


The Sins of Man

by ordinarywriter29



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Multi, Multiple Partners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:21:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 55,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ordinarywriter29/pseuds/ordinarywriter29
Summary: The Sole Survivor wakes after two hundred years in the fridge to be greeted by an irradiated wasteland. Using his years of military experience, he must band together with those willing to fight, taking a stand to overcome the greatest threat to the Commonwealth. The Institute.Relationships listed are those that will eventually take place... probably... More might be added as well.Update: Sporadic (side project)
Relationships: Cait/Male Sole Survivor, Gwen McNamara/Male Sole Survivor, Male Sole Survivor/Ellie Perkins, Male Sole Survivor/Original Female Character(s), Male Sole Survivor/Piper Wright, Scribe Haylen/Male Sole Survivor
Comments: 27
Kudos: 78





	1. Man Out Of Time

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’ll be honest. The whole ‘kidnapped son’ central arc of the game… It was so badly done in the game, just my opinion, that I felt nothing really for it (except anything with Kellogg. Perhaps the best character in FO4?) The ‘revelation’ I saw a mile away. And it’s been done in this series before: Fallout 3: Find your father. Fallout 4: Find your son. To be honest, I think they could have gone with the Institute bogeyman and made an all-encompassing story about that, the people of the Commonwealth banding together against a common enemy. While I wouldn’t get your hopes up about this being anything near what people at Bethesda can cook up, I’m basically ignoring the kidnapped son idea and using the world to create my own story while crafting missions from the game to suit my own ends.
> 
> If you’ve read my other stories, there is a mixture of adventure, action and smut. This is not different, though to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot of the latter to begin with. The Sole Survivor will be taking on ghouls, bugs, raiders, Gunners, and the Institute, all the while meeting and bedding plenty of women without one central romance (at least to begin with as I write this). If that’s your thing, you might enjoy this. If it isn’t, you might wish to move on. There’s also going to be a tone of piss-taking regarding the Fallout world, particularly in number 4, regarding some of the gameplay elements. It’s amazing what you can make out of a bunch of wrenches and screwdrivers!

After nearly fifteen years in the military, I have to admit there was nothing better than waking up on a soft mattress, warm under sheets and a duvet, feeling the soft skin of your recently married wife hugging into your side. I relaxed with an arm wrapped around her, her body moulded into mine, and I could lie back and not have to worry about incoming shell fire, explosions, bullets flying overhead…

Like many juvenile delinquents, joining the United States Army was a way of getting some discipline in addition to a bed, three square meals, the only concerns being yelled at during training and shot at once training was over. I adapted well to the life, though, enjoying the comradery with my fellow soldiers and part of me did believe in the ideals of fighting communism.

We also knew what was going on back home though, and also the issues going on around the world. Resources were running low. Quite a large minority of the population was deeply unhappy. Canada… was a mess. The wars in Europe and the Middle East had all sides exhausted. The Commonwealth of Europe collapsed as the oil ran out in the Middle East. Little news now reached North America regarding events across the Atlantic.

I spent nearly a decade on the front line, only disappearing as I was selected for officer training. It was a battlefield commission, so required only a twelve week stay in Fort Benning before I was returned to the front. I remained in the army until 2077. Once Alaska was reclaimed and the situation on the ground normalised, I chose to retire. I certainly had no interest in being sent to China.

Returning home to Boston, I lived with a friend as I found work at the docks and quickly found myself in a whirlwind romance with my now wife, Nora. We’d met at a bar near where I worked, as she was working behind it while studying to be a lawyer. Somehow, I’m still now sure how, we hit it off. She was aware of my previous occupation, but figuring it was something I didn’t want to talk about too often, we generally spent most of our time discussing other topics, like her studies or the state of the world, politics, and what the future might bring.

We met in February, were married by June, and moved into our new home in Sanctuary Hills by August. We had plans to start a family, though wanted to wait at least a little while. Nora wanted to find work in her chosen profession, while dock work suited as a stopgap, but I was thinking long and hard about what I could do as well. I had plenty of savings, at least. Ten years of pay adds up to quite a wad of savings.

But that was all for later. Things were difficult, not just for us, as many were struggling considering the state of the country and the world, but we’d already done well for ourselves. House in a nice neighbourhood. Brand new car. We’d bought a Mister Handy robot, named Codsworth, so we didn’t have to worry about housekeeping. At that precise moment, I was awake, Nora still cuddled into my side, I think still asleep, though when I glanced her way, I noticed her eyes were open, looking at me.

“You’re thinking,” she whispered.

“Hard not to, even at times like this.” I lifted the sheets, glancing at her body, and couldn’t help grin. “I do appreciate that, after all.”

“I’m still a little tender after last night, Nate. Guess we’re still in that honeymoon period…”

I couldn’t help chuckle. “I was virtually celibate for fifteen years except for the occasional furlough. I’m making up for last time.”

She kissed my cheek as she slid up to straddle my body, the sheets falling away as my eyes drifted down her face and body. Her heritage showed, with the red hair and green eyes, and rather pale skin. Slight freckling over her nose, and a pair of lips that suggested I should kiss her constantly. Her breasts were perfect, no more than a C, and when wearing one of her push up bras, the cleavage sometimes on display was incredibly distracting. Being on her feet all day, she was more athletic than you would think, a pair of legs that, when in a dress, left you wondering how long they were.

“I love it when you look at me like that,” she whispered.

“I have a hot new wife.” I paused before adding, “Still wonder what she sees in me sometimes!”

“Oh, my new husband has a body that makes me feel very funny at times.” She made a movement, sliding herself along the shaft of my cock. “But, I’ll be honest, the thing I’m sitting on is why I married him.” I couldn’t help chuckle as she sat up just enough that she could slide down it, hearing her gasp as she settled herself down once again. “I’m thinking we make love, get up and shower, then head out for the day. Maybe a picnic by the lake?”

“Last time we did that, Nora, we ended up having some very public sex. Still surprised the police didn’t show up.”

“Well, we take our bathing suits and enjoy a dip in the lake. You can pleasure me there instead this time.”

“And you think I’m insatiable at times.”

“Got to take advantage of this honeymoon period, Nate.”

Talking stopped as we made love. Watching my wife slowly ride me was still as much a thrill as it was the first time. To be honest, sex in the morning wasn’t a surprise. We enjoyed it nearly every single morning. Certainly put a smile on my face as I went to work. Of course, it led to plenty of jokes at my expense, but being a newly happily married man, I took it all on the chin.

But she also brought me peace. After fifteen years in the army, I’d experienced nothing more than war. And you eventually grow to despise and hate the enemy, so much so that… well, let’s just say I’d seen things that would make the stomachs of the ordinary civilian churn. Rules of war went out the window in Alaska. It didn’t help that, despite the money poured in, despite the men sent to fight, half the time we still had to make do with what we had, god knows when the next supply drop would arrive... And after a couple of years in the trenches, there were plenty of questions from the men under my command about why we were fighting. Was it only about oil? Was it to stop the communist bastards? Or was it all some giant grand conspiracy?

You never get used to seeing the inhumanity of war. Soldiers of either side butchered. The civilian toll was equally as horrific. The killing was indiscriminate. Whenever we got our hands on Chinese prisoners, we were not kind. The Geneva Convention meant nothing on the Anchorage Front. Rules of engagement meant nothing. The orders were simple. Kill Chinese Communists. They had invaded sovereign United States territory. We would send them back in body bags in return.

Adjusting to civilian life did take getting used to. Not being woken up by gunfire or shellfire was a new experience. The silence of the night was a little disconcerting to begin with. The first few weeks, I found more comfort sleeping on the floor than the bed. Even after getting married, I would occasionally end up on the hard floor. Nora would sometimes join me, understanding why. She knew I was slowly unwinding after fifteen years of violence. It usually takes something of beauty to cure the beast.

Nora ended up on her back, legs wrapped around me, her mouth insistent hers was pressed against mine the entire time. We’d fallen into bed together the first night we met. The spark was instant. I knew why I fell for her so hard. Beautiful. Intelligent. Witty. Ambitious. Listening to her speak about anything she had passion for simply made me love her that little bit more. Some thought it was a fast union, particularly her parents. I didn’t have any, so it didn’t matter. But she saw something in me worth being around.

After enjoying an orgasm, where I came first but I _always_ make sure the wife gets off as well, we headed for a shower, where there was a lot of touching, caressing, and her giggling a lot as I may have tickled her, before we dressed to get ready for the day. Dressing in civvies was still an experience I was getting used to. Having spent so long wearing uniform, having to clothes shopping was actually a daunting experience. Nora helped with my wardrobe.

Being ex-military, I received more rations than the average citizen. Still shook my head at that. Richest country on Earth, farmlands that spread across the centre of the country that could feed twice the number, yet despite that, food was being rationed for most people. Everyone was aware of the energy crisis but surely there was still modes of transport that would get food onto the plates of hungry Americans. I’d read of more than one food riot just in Boston. News from around the country wasn’t any better. It wasn’t just food rationing either. The global situation worsened every day.

But Nora and I tried not to think about that. We headed to a quiet spot we’d discovered during one of our first dates. There were a few other couples around, one or two families, though we found a secluded part by the lake, surrounded by trees that provided shade from the sun. Nora wasted no time stripping down to her two-piece suit, showing off more of that pale skin I just loved. “Lying like that in the shade won’t get you a tan,” I told her.

“And here I thought you loved my pale skin, Nate.”

“Oh, I do… Makes that red hair of yours stand out even more.”

She lifted the sunglasses and her eyes twinkled with mischief before she removed the lower half of her suit. “Well, I am a natural redhead, Nate. I know you’ve always approved of that.”

That was an invitation if ever I heard one, my wife spreading her legs suggestively and definitely enjoying what I did with my mouth over the next few minutes. I’d done the very same thing on our first date, which had surprised her completely. Think that’s why she married me. Women loved to gossip, and let’s just say some of her married friends were not satisfied. I liked to think my wife had no cause to complain, at least in regards to that facet of our lives. Once I’d made her orgasm, she happily took off her top and laid nude next to me. I liked to just run my hands up and down her body, amazed at how smooth skin could be, though we eventually laid back together, my arm around hers as she turned and cuddled into me.

“If I ever went into detail with my friends, I’d tell them that is why I married you,” she stated with a giggle.

We stayed at the park all day, enjoying the food we’d put together, and we did end up swimming and making love, though we did that on the shore, not in the water. We were not being careful, if you catch my meaning. We’d done the sums and knew we could afford to have at least one child. Perhaps wasn’t the best time to start a family, but then again, when was there ever a good time. Considering the state of the world, we could end up waiting forever, or it would all end before we even had the chance. It hadn’t happened yet, not through lack of trying, but we were not desperate. We knew, once we had a child, certain aspects of our life would change.

During the next week, it was a hard day of graft by the docks each day. Despite all the apparent technology, it still took men to unload and ship enormous steel boxes. It was backbreaking work at times, but at least I wasn’t being shot at, and generally not being yelled at either. And each night, despite the fact she worked herself, Nora was happy to cook the evening meal. Codsworth might have been around, but Nora had always enjoyed herself in the kitchen. Our third date had been at her small apartment, where she cooked me dinner before we spent the rest of the night in bed. I think we’d fallen in love within a week.

One evening, I’d managed to get us tickets to see the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. One passion we both shared was baseball, both of us heading to the old stadium in all the gear. Shirt. Hat. Glove each. For the first time in over a century, there was a chance we were finally going to win the championship. No-one spoke such words in the stadium, of course. I mean, the fuckin’ Cubs managed to win another World Series before us! Those of us who believed in god generally thought he just didn’t like us. But going up 3-0, with the next game to take place on Saturday, I think we all thought that now was finally our time. One hundred and forty-five years of hurt to end…

Friday had an unusual visitor during breakfast. We’d just finished eating and I was ready to head out for work when there was a knock at the door. Opening it, I was greeted by what looked like a man from Vault-Tec, the emblem on his coat confirming that.

“Major Nathan Shepard?”

“Er, ex-Major. I’m retired. Some like to be called the rank regardless, but I’d rather just be called Nate.”

“Of course. Is your wife, Nora, home as well?”

“She is. One second.” I turned back to the kitchen, to see she was already approaching us. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Are you aware of the vaults being built across the United States?”

“I’ve read about it in the Boston Bugle. Seen a few of the billboards around too.”

“Well, I have good news for you, Nate. Because of your service to your country, Vault-Tec have pre-selected you and your wife for entry to Vault 111, built just up the nearby hill, in the event of a… nuclear holocaust.”

Everyone was aware of these vaults under construction, further proof that the government was now worried about conflict turning into nuclear armageddon. Considering I’d already been selected, there was no point in saying no.

“Anything I need to know about?”

“Oh, no. All I need you to do is sign this form. You can read the small print, but no-one ever does. All above board. These vaults will end up holding hundreds in the event the worst does happen.”

I glanced at Nora. “What do you think?”

“You’ve been selected already, Nate. Just sign if off so we can get ready to go out.”

“Okay.”

I seemed to make his day as I signed the paperwork. “Most people just slam the door in my face.”

“Well, that’s a little rude, I guess. Though we can all hope that these are built but never used.”

“You and me both, sir. Anyway, I’ll send this to HQ. You’ll have confirmation of your acceptance in the mail within the week. You have a nice day now.”

“You too.”

Saturday, October 23, 2077 dawned bright and sunny. Nora and I woke early as we wanted to head out into town for some shopping before heading to Fenway that afternoon. If the Sox actually won, the town would be painted red tonight and for perhaps the entire month. Baseball fever had gripped Boston like never before, or at least in living memory. Posters hung up everywhere. The players were celebrities, with numerous radio and television interviews. If they actually managed to win the whole thing…

We enjoyed a shower together, something we always did on the weekend, gently pressing her against the wall, our mouths locked together as my hands were rather busy otherwise. She made those sounds I always loved hearing, her hands looped around the back of my neck tightening the closer she approached her orgasm. The entire time, she just gazed into my eyes. “I love you,” she breathed.

Then she orgasmed, crying out loudly as I kept my hand moving until she had to ask me to stop, unable to take any more. Taking a minute or two to recover, she eventually rested back against the wall as I definitely looked smug. Grasping my cock, she asked, “Want the favour returned?”

“No. I just love making my wife cum.” The smile that formed dazzled me, another reason I’d fallen for her. Whenever she smiled, the room she was standing in lit up. After years of being surrounded mostly by men, to have a feminine presence such as hers, those delicate features… It soothed the beast within, let’s say. I hugged her tight to my body, feeling her soft hands on my back. “Oh, and I love you too,” I whispered into her ear.

“I think we should start trying, Nate.”

“I’m game if you are.”

She leaned back, the smile broadening, if possible. “I’ll go see a doctor next week, make sure everything is okay.”

Shower over, I brushed my teeth as I looked in the mirror. I had blue eyes, which Nora loved. I kept my hair short, like I was still in the military, though allowed myself some dark stubble nowadays, as I’d always hated shaving. Nora warned me that, as long as it didn’t get too long, she wouldn’t mind. My body, covered in some scars, was still as if I was still in active service, retaining a level of fitness that would have seen me making fools of men many years my junior. I was tall though not overly, six foot and maybe an inch at most. Nora was about five-five, five-six, but it worked easily.

I’d just thrown on my jacket when I heard Codsworth calling us into the living room. No idea what the robot would want as they never wanted for anything, though he’d been a perfectly acceptable addition to the household. Certainly knew when I was in the need of an ice cold beer after work. Nora and I both wandered out as the television was switched on.

_“And now a look at sports. Something that is, unquestionably, inescapably, American. I am referring of course, to our great national pastime, baseball.”_

I couldn’t help chuckle. “Jesus Christ, Codsworth, I thought something was going on.”

“Apologies, sir. Thought you would like to see this bit.”

_“This afternoon, right here in the city, Boston's swatting sultans will swing for the fences. Led by star pitcher Matt "The Missile" Murtagh, Boston hopes to defeat Texas, and deliver their first World Series victory since 1918.”_

“You and us both, my friend,” I told the television anchor.

“I’ve just got to finish my hair, Nate. We’ll take the car?”

“Why don’t we get the bus into town and walk around?”

“You just want to hold my hand all the time.”

“I’m an old-fashioned guy, Nora. It’s why you married me.”

She kissed my cheek. “One of the reasons.”

I relaxed on the couch, the volume low on the television as I could hear her sing in the bathroom. She couldn’t really, but it was endearing to listen to. The news anchor droned on about the situation in Asia. Having pushed the Chinese out of Alaska, the United States had gone on the front foot in the Pacific, with units arriving on the Chinese mainland, while there were reports of units going to and from the Philippines. The United States was now exacting vengeance for ten years of occupation of Alaska.

Then everything changed as the anchorman was passed a piece of paper. “ _Followed by... yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions... We're... we're trying to get confirmation..._ ”

“Nora!” I yelled.

She came running out, hearing my tone. “What is it?”

She sat down next to me in silence as we listened. _“But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations...”_ Nora grabbed my hand tightly. I kept my eyes on the television. The anchorman ran a hand through his hair as he was handed another sheet of paper. _“We do have... coming in... confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania.”_

The screen then blanked out as we stood up together, Nora immediately hugging me. I expected a blinding flash immediately and for us to be wiped out. Instead, there was a siren. I knew it well, as I’d heard it more than once during my time on the front line. Thankfully, it was only ever during a drill, thankfully never a false alarm. But I knew this was very real.

“We need to go.”

“Where?” she asked.

“The vault.”

There was no point taking anything. I knew the vault would have everything we would need. Without a backwards glance, Nora and I headed out of the door, making sure it was shut, though it seemed pointless if everything was about to be blown up. Neighbours were doing the same thing as us. The noise was one of either screaming or loud discussions. The army had arrived, blocking the street leading south, directing everyone to the nearby vault. All of Sanctuary Hills was heading there, Nora and I passing by couples and families, some dragging luggage, most others being smart and simply getting to the vault as quickly as possible.

Thankfully, we managed to make it to the vault quickly. “Your names?” asked the captain with a clipboard.

“Major Nathan Shepard and my wife, Nora.”

I figured using my rank would make things go smoothly. He nodded. “You’re on the list. Follow the corporal here. He’ll lead you to where you need to go.”

Taking her hand again, we hurried up the hill and were told to stand on a platform. Nora hugged me tightly as we could hear sirens in the distance. The screaming seemed endless. And there was no end of gunfire. Sirens started to sound nearby and then, for a brief moment, everything went silent, and I knew exactly why.

“Close your eyes!” I whispered into her ear.

She knew why as the bomb landed somewhere in the distance. The effect was immediate. Even with eyes closed, you could see and feel the flash. Thankfully, the platform began its descent at exactly the same time. I dare not even look for a moment, and thankfully we were already heading underground, the roof closing above us before the shockwave hit us. Nora hugged me even tighter as I opened my eyes to be greeted by darkness.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

“Nate,” Nora whispered, hearing the sob caught in her throat. I lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her forehead.

“I love you. We’re alive. And we’ll survive now. We’re safe.”

“Everyone out… so many…”

I looked around as lights starting to switch on below us, noticing there were no more than a dozen of us. I could only hope there were more survivors already being processed, otherwise we were going to have one hell of an empty vault.

The Vault-Tec employees were ready for us, at least, and noticing that most of those around us were scared, their voices were incredibly soothing, gently leading us towards a reception area, where our names were again taken, and we were given new clothing, a vault suit. I had no problem changing in public, while Nora was still in a bit of shock, so I ended up helping her get into hers. Once we were in our vault suits, I hugged her tightly again.

“I don’t know what to do…”

“Take it day to day, Nora. That’s all we can do.”

Once everyone had changed, and been given a few minutes to process the fact our homes had just been nuked, another representative, this one dress in a lab coat, stating he was the vault’s doctor, and that we needed to go through a decontamination process before heading into the vault. Nora grabbed my hand as tightly as she ever had, just a face in the small crowd as we were led towards a series of pods. Never seen anything like them before, but no-one argued as they stepped into a pod. Before stepping in, Nora turned and kissed me. It lasted long enough that the doctor had to clear his throat. I simply caressed her cheek before telling her I loved her.

“And I love you so much, Nate.”

Stepping into the pod, the door closed and I heard a countdown, starting from ten. By the time it reached five, I was feeling rather sleepy, and before I knew it, my eyes shut.

When I opened them again, I was freezing cold, the pod door opening and I heard an announcement about some sort of malfunction. I collapsed to the ground, frozen to the bone, sucking in a series of deep breaths before I managed to sit back on my knees, looking around.

“What the fuck?” I asked, “Where is everyone?”

Rising to my feet, I immediately went to Nora’s pod. What I saw chilled me to the bone. “What the fuck?” I pulled at the pod door, straining to lift it. “Open up, you bastard!” I pulled again and again before noticing the pad next to it. Pressing the button, I felt relief surge through me as the pod door slowly opened, but when Nora didn’t move, I stepped closer and noticed she looked… frozen.

“No, no, no, no,” I muttered to myself, stepping forward, shaking her gently by the shoulder. She felt like ice. Placing two fingers to her neck, I didn’t feel a pulse. I lifted her up out of the pod, and she felt like a dead weight. I hugged her tightly for what felt like a minute, just trying to warm her up before laying her down on the ground. Checking her pulse again, I thought about CPR but…

I caressed her face and gasped at how cold her skin felt. It was like she’d been… frozen. On my knees, I lifted her body and held her against me, blinking rapidly as I held back the tears that wanted to form. “Bastards,” I muttered.

Lifting her up, the only thing I could think of to do was put her back in the pod until I knew what was going on. Sitting her down, I took a moment to just look at her, so peaceful, like whenever I’d watched her sleep next to me. This time, though, I knew she was never going to wake up. I had no idea what was going on, but I was damned sure going to go on the warpath now.

Closing the pod, I waited until it was locked before I turned and checked the others. They were all the same. Everyone was dead. Somehow, or for some reason, only I had survived. As I began to walk back towards the entrance, nothing looked right. It felt abandoned. Everything was rusted, which didn’t make sense. We’d only just arrived! And where was everyone?! These vaults were meant to be full of people, up to a few hundred to ensure the survival of the species. There had been around twelve pods in total. Were there more around in other parts of the vault?

Coming to a different area of the vault I hadn’t been through, I gazed through a window to be greeted by what looked like an enormous cockroach. It actually made me jump back for a moment. “What the fuck?!”

Nothing seemed right. An abandoned vault and now giant cockroaches. The fact I’d seen one actually concerned me, so finding a baton nearby was something I figured picking up was a good idea. There was no-on around. The vault truly was deserted except for myself, my dead wife and others, and maybe some giant cockroaches. Finding a security station, there was a terminal that was still powered. Thankfully, it didn’t require a password, and that’s when, to my horror, I discovered the truth of Vault 111.

_“Vault 111 is designed to test the long-term effects of suspended animation on unaware, human subjects. Security staff are responsible for maintaining installation integrity and monitoring science staff activity. Under no circumstances are staff allowed to deviate from assigned duties. Insubordination or interference with vault operations are capital offences. Security staff are authorised to use lethal force.”_

There were four dated logs, the fourth being April 23rd, 2078, and a final undated entry that suggested the staff would be heading off to face down the Overseer so they could escape the vault. As for us, I guess we were meant to be left… forever? Sure seemed like it. But it appeared we had been abandoned less than a year after being frozen. So what year was it now?

Figuring finding the Overseer’s office was the best way of getting out, the route wasn’t direct as doors had been locked, and that meant I had my first run-in with those giant cockroaches. And they were aggressive, vicious little bastards. I was used to just squashing them under my shoe. Now? I needed to beat them with the baton and the stench that erupted as they died made me gag more than once. If these were in the vault, what the fuck was waiting for me outside?

I must have killed a dozen of the bastards as I weaved my way forward, following signs for the office of the Overseer. Walking into it, I was greeted by an abandoned room. Behind the desk was a skeleton. I felt my shoulders slump at seeing that. It was clearly the Overseer, but if I was being greeted by nothing but a skeleton, it was definitely longer than a year after I’d been put in the pod.

Searching for supplies, I found a 10mm pistol and definitely grabbed some stimpaks. Soldiers relied on those on the front line as they certainly helped cure most ailments. Still needed a doctor for broken bones and major diseases, but for more minor wounds and illnesses, just jabbing a stimpak into the area concerned worked a charm. Making sure I grabbed some ammo, I slid a clip into the pistol, checked it work with a test fire. The evacuation tunnel was locked down, thankfully the terminal at which the skeleton was sat was still powered, and I managed to find the command to open it.

The tunnel was full of cockroaches, and now with a pistol, I just shot them whenever they appeared. I’d always been a crack shot, though much preferred a rifle rather than a pistol, but my scores had always been proficient. One shot each time, making sure I held my breath passing all the corpses as it was simply disgusting.

Thankfully, I finally reached the exit to the vault. More skeletons lay around and it was obvious the vault had been abandoned for a long time. I found another skeleton, this one with a Pip-Boy. I knew what they were as I’d used a variant of it in my role as Major of the United States Army. It just helped me keep tabs on orders, subordinates, mission parameters, and my own personal details. The elevator was thankfully still powered, so I wasn’t trapped in the vault. After a quick search for more supplies, finding some more ammunition, a screwdriver and bobby pins, grinning to myself as memories of being a juvenile delinquent returned, before I remembered one thing.

I headed back through the vault, all the way back to the pods, and I collected my wife, carrying her back through the vault, standing on the platform and pushing the button that would take us back to the surface. The scene that greeted me nearly brought me to my knees. It was nothing but utter devastation. I knew the bomb had landed in the distance, but everything just looked dead. Skeletons lay on the ground around us, remembering that many had not been accepted into the vault. To be honest, they might have been the lucky ones.

Carrying my wife home, I looked up and down the street on which we’d lived and couldn’t believe the devastation. Every home was in ruins, some in complete disrepair. Approaching our home, I was surprised to see Codsworth tending the dead garden. When the robot noticed me approach, it turned towards us. “Sir?”

“Codsworth? What are you doing here?”

I noticed his eyes move from me to Nora in my arms. “Is… is she dead, sir?” I could only nod. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure, Codsworth. But I’m going to get some fucking answers. But I had to bring her home. I’ll bury her in the backyard.”

“Of course, sir. There should be a shovel in the backyard still.”

Carrying her through our home, it looked like it had been abandoned for decades. Rust and ruin, that’s all I could see. Placing her on the ground out in our backyard, I headed back inside to grab a rug to at least wrap her up in, finding a shovel near the benches I kept, noticing our car was now nothing more than rust. “What year is it?” I wondered to myself before heading to the backyard.

Digging a deep enough hole didn’t take too long. Nora was still cold to the touch, though that was probably just a sign she was now dead. I caressed her face a final time before leaning down to kiss her forehead. The last thing I did before wrapping her up was take her wedding ring, sliding that into my pocket for now. Once wrapped up, I carefully carried and placed her down in the grave. Only then did Codsworth appear as I started to fill in the hole.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“No, I’m fucking not, Codsworth,” I replied, continuing to shovel dirt onto the rug containing the body of my wife, “I have no idea what’s going on now. All I know is that I stepped into a pod with my wife alive, and I exit the pod to find my wife dead, along with everyone else who came with us down to the vault. I find out I’ve actually been cryogenically frozen for god knows how long. I exit the vault to find nothing but destruction and ruin.” I looked at the robot. “What year is it?”

“It is October 23rd, 2287, sir.”

I could only stare at him, knowing my jaw gaped wide. “Come again?”

“It is exactly two hundred and ten years since you disappeared, sir.”

I patted down the dirt before jammed the steel into it, leaving it as a marker before I could think of something more permanent. “Am I the only one alive? Did everyone die?”

“No, sir. I’m aware there are plenty of survivors. Some have headed here over the intervening years, scavenging for supplies. They… did not take kindly to me being here.”

“Sorry, Codsworth. I don’t think you would have been allowed in the vault.”

“No need for apology, sir. I am dreadfully sorry about the wife.”

“Thanks.”

“So what will you do now, sir?”

“Honestly, no fucking idea. If Sanctuary Hills looks like this, god knows what the rest of Boston will look like. Two hundred and ten years after the bombs hit? Is anything still standing in Boston? If there is, who’s now living in Boston? How the hell has anyone survived the radiation? How does anyone manage to live in a world like this now?” I met look at the robot again. “You have seen people around?”

“Not for a few years now, sir. But survivors have made their way here over the years. They seemed to come looking for salvage.”

I could only sigh. “Well, here’s hoping they couldn’t crack my safe. Walking around in bright blue clothing will only draw attention.” Walking back into the house, which looked like it had been abandoned for two centuries, our old bedroom was now ruined, our old bed having collapsed into pieces. But the safe I’d kept in the small closet hadn’t been picked. I’d selected one with a twelve number collection. My birth date, Nora’s birth date.

Pulling it open, I could only stare down into the contents. I’d prepared it in the event of a full Chinese invasion, willing to fight them either as part of the military or as a civilian guerrilla. I never planned for a nuclear strike, simply because I didn’t believe it was survivable.

First item I pulled out was some army fatigues. White undershirt. Green jacket and pants. Army boots. Green cap. Also a pair of sunglasses. I’d already realised the light was much different than before, the glare being awful. Shotgun with a couple of boxes of ammo. A few more stimpaks. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep anything for radiation, but the Pip-Boy did come with an in-built Geiger counter. Switching that on, I was surprised at the lack of any radiation around me. Truth be told, from what I knew, the atom bomb had barely changed from those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I’d also kept some dried food stuffs and cans in the event of food being scarce. And the best thing was that recipes had been changed to ensure longevity. I’m not sure about it lasting two hundred plus years, and I wasn’t feeling hungry. But I was left thinking I had little idea what to do about food. How had the radiation effected things otherwise? Was any land still arable? Could food still be grown? I was left thinking many would now be relying on subsistence farming. How had civilisation coped?

After grabbing all the supplies, putting them on the kitchen bench and taking stock of everything I had, I decided I might as well ransack the houses around me. And, to be honest, I found much more than I thought I would. Most Americans were armed, so I found more weapons and ammunition. Bathrooms contained medical supplies. Kitchens did contain dried foodstuffs, probably a century out of date, but food was food at the end of the day. Found a cellar which contained plenty of purified water, opening one of those immediately as I was thirsty.

Light was fading by the time I had everything back at the house, Codsworth hanging around, no doubt waiting to be told what to do. “What do you plan on doing, sir?”

“I’ve got one or two thoughts, Codsworth. One is to simply find other survivors and find out what’s happened since. I mean, it’s been two centuries, so we’re talking a few generations. No doubt what happened on the day and immediately afterwards has probably been forgotten. But I also want to find Vault-Tec or at least any other vaults out there. I already have a bad feeling that we were not the only vault that was an experiment. Considering some of the rumours we heard before the war, about what some corporations were up to…” I could only sigh, running a hand down my face. “I’m almost glad Nora isn’t here for this. But I’m thinking this might be worth making some sort of base. Walking to Boston centre from here would take all day. Not sure what I’ll find when I get there. Probably nothing but ruins. I do wonder where the bomb actually hit. If it hit Boston directly, I doubt I’ll find a thing.” I looked at the robot. “What the hell have you been doing for two centuries, Codsworth?”

“My job, sir. Though it’s incredibly difficult polishing a rusted up car and irradiated floor boards.”

“Shit. Sorry, Codsworth.”

“Not your fault, sir. As you said, I wouldn’t have been let in the vault.”

Light had disappeared by now so I headed outside and, managed to find a ladder, clambered up onto the roof. Before the bombs dropped, Boston would have been lit up in the distance. Now? There was barely a flicker of light. But the stars above now shone brighter than ever. I wasn’t a pious man, and after the nuclear devastation, I wondered if people still even believed. But I liked to think that Nora was up there somewhere now, safe and sound, not having to endure whatever was to come. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Heading downstairs, I found a bottle of bourbon before heading back up, taking sips from the bottle as I thought about my life up the bombs, and now.

I was definitely a man out of time.


	2. The Minuteman

Sleeping on a hard floor wasn’t difficult, just a reminder of my years in the service, with little more than a bedroll and a thin blanket against the elements, usually in a tent, but sometimes we would have to sleep in the trenches, waiting for the next Chinese onslaught. It was amazing at the time, that with all the technology at our disposal, we still ended up fighting what was basically trench warfare, a reminder of the wars of the previous century.

I woke with the dawn the next morning, the sun almost blinding as it appeared over the horizon. The air was definitely different. There wasn’t a real smell, at least around Sanctuary. At least I didn’t smell any dead bodies. After two centuries, I had a feeling I’d only find skeletons from now on.

It dawned on me quickly that there wasn’t running water, so having a shower was out. There was a river to the south, though did wonder if that was irradiated. I had a feeling most water sources would contain some sort of radiation, even after all this time. I’d read literature that suggested it would be, at minimum, three hundred years before areas of the United States would have been habitable. So I was awake ninety years too early, at least if the sums in my head were correct. No point worrying about that now.

Putting on my vault suit first, I then put my army fatigues over those. I had no other armour, though nothing was really going to stop a bullet unless I found combat armour. I had a holster for my pistol, at least, while I fastened a strap to my shotgun and looped that around onto my back. I managed to find a small pack that I could carry some water and a couple of snacks. But I wasn’t going to hang around Sanctuary feeling sorry for myself. I’d been a man of action and circumstances now suggested I get busy quickly, otherwise I’d just end up dying of starvation, dehydration or radiation.

“Where will you go, sir?” Codsworth wondered.

“Well, Concord is only a short walk away. You said you’ve seen survivors there before, so I’ll see if I can find anyone. I’ll stick close to Sanctuary for the time being. Though I’d love nothing more than to head to Vault-Tec and get answers, I have a feeling it won’t be that easy. If Sanctuary looks like this…”

“Would you like company, sir? I can certainly help defend you against anything you might run into.”

I gave it some thought. If cockroaches had mutated into bigger, uglier, more aggressive things, then I can only imagine the same thing has happened to other animals. And if humans had disappeared in millions, if not billions, then I could only assume that animals might have flourished in the centuries since. “You know what, Codsworth, come along. Better than hanging around here for the time being.”

“Very good, sir.”

Thankfully the wooden bridge leading out of Sanctuary Hills was somehow still standing, though it was a little rickety. Nothing around us lived. Every single tree was dead, but I did see small signs of life, a few different flowers and ferns blooming. Nothing familiar though, so I figured they’d also mutated. Whether they were actually dangerous to health or not, I guess I’d have to ask someone still alive.

The Red Rocket station was abandoned but the building was intact, at least. Searching the ruins for supplies, I found a small pile of bottle caps. That boggled my mind as it seemed they were sat there for a reason. I checked the till to find plenty of cash. Considering it was abandoned and everyone was dead, I had no issue with pocketing the money. I was about to just leave the caps, but something in the back of my mind suggested they might be important, so I slid those into my pack as well.

Then I found a dog, of all things, a German Shepherd. Getting down onto my knee, he came running towards me and was very friendly. No signs of radiation or mutation either. “Hello, boy!” I exclaimed as I gave him a rub between the ears and down his coat. He was surprisingly clean.

He barked happily. “Where’s your owner?” He cocked his head and barked again. “You don’t have one?” He barked again. I looked at my robot companion. “Looks like we had a dog, Codsworth.”

“He seems to be in remarkably good health, sir.”

“Want to come with me, boy?” The dog barked happily, and as soon as I started to walk off, he joined me at my side. So now I had a robot and a dog. No idea what to call him though. “Have a name, boy?” He again cocked his head so I gave it some thought. “Want a human name or something else?” He barked again. “How about… Max?” He barked and licked my face, so I guess he liked it. “Okay, Max, want to come along with me?” I stood up and he circled around me a couple of times before running off, looking back, suggesting that I follow.

After two centuries, roads were cracked and falling apart. Cars, which likely stopped as soon as the bomb hit, lay abandoned, nothing more than rusted husks. Many cars had been powered by nuclear energy as car makers had converted away from oil, which was kept rationed by the government and generally only given to corporations and the armed forces.

The road to Concord was a descent, and we passed by the carcass of a cow. Bending down on a knee, there was no missing the fact it had two heads. Another sign of mutation. “Fucking hell,” I muttered, “Are all the cows like this, Codsworth?”

“I don’t know, sir. The furthest I’ve ever travelled was Concord, and that was a long time ago. Whenever someone arrived in Sanctuary, I’d usually hide.”

“Why?”

“I had a feeling people would want me for salvage. My circuits would prove rather valuable, I think.”

“Hmmm. I do wonder if there is working electricity anywhere. Clean water. And crops.” I looked up and around. “The air certainly feels… drier. And, looking around, everything is either dead or… Does it rain much?”

“It does rain, sir. Though some of the storms are radioactive.”

“Fantastic. Acid rain?”

“Not anymore, sir. Storms that come in from the south-west are the problem.”

On the edge of Concord, we ran into some more bugs. Again, these were mutated bastards, and I was left thinking they were enormous mosquitos. Codsworth charged ahead, using his saw to cut one in half. I lined up my pistol and put a bullet into two others, dreading to think what would happen if one managed to latch onto me. Mosquitos were little shits before the war. These things? They’d drain all my blood in minutes. “Has anything not mutated?” I wondered, leaning over one of the bugs, checking it over.

“The occasional stray dog came through Sanctuary, sir. Dogs like the one with us are rare.”

“Not friendly?”

“Most are starving, sir, and simply looking for a feed.”

I gave Max a scratch behind his ears before moving on, keeping my weapon in hand as we entered the outskirts of Concord. It was only another suburb of Boston, though this one contained more shops than Sanctuary Hills, which had been purely residential. There had been a few small shops Nora had liked to visit, though we’d done our food shopping in Lexington, where there was a large Super-Duper Mart. The houses to either side of us were abandoned, some having fallen down completely, others looked in somewhat decent condition. We searched one or two but didn’t find anything worth taking.

Hearing gunfire ahead was a surprise. To be honest, I hadn’t really expected to find anyone in Concord, figuring it would have been abandoned as Sanctuary Hills. Gesturing to Codsworth for silence, I also whispered to Max to take it slowly, crouching down as we made our way down the hill to the corner, the sound of gunfire increasing with each step.

Peeking around a corner, the Museum of Freedom was in the distance. Nora and I had visited it not long after moving into our new house. I could see at least four-armed people firing on the museum, just about making out a lone defender on the patio above, and he or she seemed to be armed with a laser rifle. I was amazed that technology still existed. Otherwise, the main road was deserted, a truck trailer providing cover.

“Codsworth,” I whispered, “I’m thinking we help the guy up on the patio. So, you head down the left, take out who you can. I’ll head down the right and hopefully knock off a couple while you provide a distraction. Max, if you want to bite someone, you’re more than welcome.” He growled, so I think he liked that idea. “You understand hand signals, Codsworth?”

“I do, sir.”

“Just keep an eye out for any I make. I’m not getting killed as soon as I wake up.”

The three of us moved out, Codsworth silently heading down the left of the street, I went down the right, Max at my side, staying low. Once I was behind cover, I waited for Codsworth to make his move. Huh, just realised I thought of the robot as a ‘he’. Must be the voice. Anyway, he fell upon the first attacker, causing him to cry out and turn around, his saw immediately slashing down the chest. That drew the attention of two others, and I opened fire immediately, two hands holding the pistol steady. The first bullet went through the eyes of the first person, though the second who turned fired immediately. Max disappeared, noticing him sneak ahead. I waited for the man to stop firing before rising and firing. My first shot missed, the second shot hit the shoulder. By now, the fourth attacker had turned, Codsworth zooming ahead, taking a couple of shots.

I leapt over cover and charged forward, switching to my shotgun easily, firing away, the blast impacting the chest of the man, watching him collapse back onto the ground. Max was helping Codsworth with the last one, watching him bite the arse of the man as Codsworth sent his saw slashing across his neck, blood spurting as he collapsed to the ground.

“Quickly! Quickly!” I yelled out, rushing down the rest of the street towards the museum.

I noticed two dead bodies on the ground, both of them dressed in clothing that seemed vaguely familiar. “Hey, up here! On the balcony!” I looked up to see a black man looking down at me. “I've got a group of settlers inside! The raiders are almost through the door! Grab that laser musket and help us! Please!”

“Raiders? The fuck are raiders?” I asked, more to myself than him. “Okay, give me a moment.” I looked at Codsworth. “Watch our backs out here. If any more of these raiders appear, get to safety. Max, you come with me.” I looked up. “I’ll head inside now! Get to safety!”

“I will. And thank you!”

I picked up the laser musket. It wasn’t the sort of rifle I might have once used, it adapted so I had to turn the crank to charge it up. But at least I had something better than a pistol, checking both bodies for energy cells, finding a few of those and pocketing them. Looping that around my body, I took out my shotgun instead, which was much better for close quarters fighting. Now I was in my element. Street fighting? Check. Fighting in general? Double check. Clearing a building of the enemy? Triple check. Though sometimes we’d just call in bombers and lay waste to an entire area, particularly if it was a large factory or warehouse. And given I was only recently retired, in the sense that I’d been on ice for two centuries, all the old training returning immediately. Having Max was a bonus, though.

The raiders were definitely firing on the position of wherever or whoever these settlers, and my presence was missed as I kept to the shadows, Max sniffing ahead, making sure the area was safe before he looked back. He seemed to understand what I needed. I didn’t particularly like sneaking about, but being completely unarmoured, I didn’t want to take a shot to the gut. So it required catching them by surprise. Some wore leather armour, one or two what looked like metal armour, none of it in particularly good condition. Most carried poor weaponry, covered in dirt, tattoos, and scars.

We managed to surprise more than one of them. Whenever there were two in a room, Max would distract one while I blasted away the other. Thankfully, the plan worked each time, though I did have to duck more than one bullet, a couple coming too close for comfort. Working our way upstairs, the raiders figured out someone was coming, and the last two were ready for us. That’s when I switched to the musket, cranking it up and, from cover, fired at them. First couple of shots didn’t hit home, but the next one did, the shot going straight through his armour, then his body, watching him fall over the edge to the ground below. The last raider charged towards me, taking out my pistol and putting a bullet right between his eyes.

Then there was blessed silence, though Max and I remained vigilant until making the door. I knocked. “Um, it’s me, the guy from outside.”

“Hold on a moment. I’ll get the door for you.”

When it opened, I was greeted by the same black man I’d seen earlier, gesturing for me to enter as he shut and locked the door behind me. “Sit,” I told Max, and he did it immediately, so he seemed to have some training at least, giving him a scratch behind the ears. I looked around to see an old woman, a younger man who was working at a terminal, and an Asian looking couple, both of them looking terrified. “Who are you people?”

“I’m Preston. Preston Garvey. If you don’t recognise the grab, I’m a Commonwealth Minuteman. Last one, I’m afraid.”

“Minuteman? They’re still around? I thought they’d disbanded after the revolution.”

“Revo-what?” He looked me up and down. “Who are you?”

“Nate Shepard. I’m… I’m not really sure how to explain it, to be honest. But I’m from a vault.”

“A vault? Where?”

“Sanctuary Hills. Vault 111.”

“There’s a vault there?”

“I told you we’d find someone there, Preston,” the old lady said.

“You mentioned nothing about a vault, Mama Murphy.” He looked back at me. “Um, so, as I said, I’m Preston. Man at the terminal is Sturges. Mama Murphy is the older lady. And the couple over there are Jun and Marcy Long. We’re all that left after what happened…” He trailed off, and I could see it was a topic he didn’t want to talk about just yet.

“Why are you in Concord?”

“Take a seat and I’ll explain.” I did as he asked, finding a chair to sit down on. Opening my pack, I took out some water, offering it around though everyone waved it away, stating they at least had their own supplies. “So you’ve been in a vault since when?”

“I entered the vault on October 23rd, 2077.”

That caused them all to look at me wide-eyed. “You’re pre-war? How is that possible?” Sturges asked.

“I was frozen along with everyone else. Vault-Tec were… doing some sort of experiment. Something must have gone wrong, though, as my pod malfunctioned. But my wife…” I sighed. “I’m the sole survivor of Vault 111.”

“Holy shit,” Preston muttered, “Talk about a man out of time.”

“Yeah, I only woke up yesterday to find… this…”

“Look, I wouldn’t really know where to start regarding your circumstances. You know it’s 2287 though?” I nodded. “The world as you might have known it? Gone. I don’t know much about the time you’re from but the world was blown to hell. There’s no government, no real law and order, no help, so it’s up to people to band together and survive as best they can. As I said, I’m part of the Minuteman. We established over a century ago to help bring order back to the Commonwealth. But events in the recent past… I won’t go into details yet, but you proved one thing. You can fight. Can you help us?”

“I left looking for survivors. I’m just glad to find someone alive. What did those raiders want?”

“They’re packs of people who thrive on nothing but what you probably considered crimes. Murder. Theft. Rape. Torture. Without any sort of effective police force, raiders operate with impunity. And without the Minutemen to maintain at least a semblance of control, I fear it will only get worse. The raiders we were fighting? I have no doubt they were not the last.”

“You think more raiders will come?”

“No doubt.” He glanced at Sturges. “You think our new friend could help with our problem?”

He turned around and looked at me. “You’re pre-war so I can only hope you know about power armour?”

“Sure do. Only ever used it once or twice. I was infantry.”

“You served?” Preston asked.

“Reached the rank of Major of the United States Army. I’m guessing that doesn’t exist anymore?”

“The United States barely exists, if it does at all, Nate. As for the army, that probably fell apart in the days after the war. We have walked by one or two of their abandoned checkpoints. The only group that could possibly relate to them are the Gunners. They generally look like pre-war army soldiers, though they act little more than raiders.”

“Shit, things are that bad?”

“As I said, there is no law and orders, Nate. I can only assume the society you once knew collapsed after the bombs fell. Millions would have died immediately, and many more in the aftermath. Guess you could ask a ghoul or two…”

“What the fuck is a ghoul?”

“Oh, right. So, ghouls are irradiated people. Some are probably as old as you are. They look messed up but some managed to retain their humanity. Somehow, their bodies reacted to the radiation by giving them what seems to be immortality, though it stripped away their skin and other features that we have. Noses and lips are the most recognisable features they lack. Unfortunately, many others who turned into ghouls… well, we just call them ferals. No humanity. Nothing that you would recognise as human. Vicious, aggressive creatures. Radiation rotted their brains. They attack on sight, desiring nothing more than your death.”

“Okay, so obviously you want to get somewhere. Concord is out, I assume. So where next?”

“To be honest, we had heard of Sanctuary. We were hoping to get there. But we need your help. Tell him, Sturges.”

“There is a suit of power armour up on the roof. Crashed vertibird. But we can’t get it fired up without a fusion core. There’s one downstairs that you could use to power it up.”

“Fusion core? Those babies last forever. Okay, so I get the F.C, power up the armour, then what?”

“Get ready for the next raider incursion. Once we’ve dealt with them, we can make our way to Sanctuary and hopefully safety.”

“Well, it’s better than sitting around here, waiting for them to try again. I’ll grab the core, head upstairs, power up the armour, and go from there.”

“Get us out of here, Nate, and you’ll have our thanks.”

Heading back downstairs, I found the generator locked behind a door. My years of juvenile delinquency returned as I slipped a bobby pin and screwdriver into the lock. It took a little jiggling, but it wasn’t a particularly hard lock to break. Ejecting the core, I was surprised the lights stayed on, figuring that power would remain until the generator itself was empty of charge.

Carrying it back upstairs, the stairs to the roof were through the room Preston and the others were waiting. On the roof was the rusted remains of a vertibird, and by it rested a suit of power armour. The core fit into the slot easily enough, and turning the handle to open it up, I stepped inside as I was soon encased by it. Though I hadn’t used it often, I had been trained how to operate one of them long ago. It was a T-45 set, so the most basic but also common on the battlefield. I was just relieved it still worked after two hundred years. It came with air-conditioning, which was a relief, and also provided fresh air. The interface was at eye level, giving me details such as power level. It also provided help regarding aiming, and allowed me to carry weapons on the arms and chest. I remembered watching soldiers in power armour takes down tens of soldiers at once.

There was also a minigun nearby, picking that up and checking to see it was nearly full to the brim with ammunition, with at least three more chains of around five hundred bullets. Though power armour did come with in-built radio, I had no-one to contact so I made do with simply dropping from the roof and waiting.

The raiders must have been waiting, as my sensors lit up, alerting me to at least ten raiders approaching. I definitely smiled to myself behind the helmet. “Codsworth, get to safety.”

“Is that you, sir?”

“It is. Time to show these raiders some old-fashioned warfare.”

Pressing on the trigger, I had to wait around two seconds for it to spin up and start firing. Holding such a heavy weapon is almost possible without power armour, but takes unbelievable strength, and it would be almost impossible to hold it steady. Power armour would allow me to use any heavy weapon I found without a problem.

Walking forward, I sprayed left and right, cutting raiders to pieces, particularly those dumb enough to leave cover, watching clouds of bloody mist appear. I must have been halfway down the street, at least half a dozen bodies now behind me, when a steel covering on the road ahead blew into the sky and from beneath appeared… a creature.

The four raiders remaining all turned around and I heard the cries of fear. “Deathclaw!” one of them cried.

Instead of running, the raiders decided to open fire on the creature. To say it cut a swathe through them would be an understatement. With razor sharp claws on its hands and teeth that resembled a shark, it cut the four raiders to pieces in seconds.

Then it looked at me.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

It ran towards me. No point retreating. Plus, I had power armour. I lit it up with the minigun, bullets flying towards the deathclaw at a phenomenal rate. Most hit it centre mass, but whatever it was, the creature was built of strong stuff.

“Fuck,” I muttered again.

I started to step backwards, as although the deathclaw tried to charge, the rate of fire it was taking meant it at least slowed it. Then I changed from centre mass, lowering the minigun and firing at its legs. If it can’t walk, then killing it would be easier. A few more bullets now missed, but the rate of fire meant there was little it could do, and soon blood was flowing from its legs, causing it to slow down considerably before it finally collapsed to the ground.

Only then did I step forward to get a good look at the creature. Honestly, I thought it was some sort of draconic creature. But it’s eyes were nothing but pure evil, left believing I was standing near nothing but a killing machine. “The fuck are you?” I wondered to myself.

The creature kept trying to get to me, swiping at me helplessly as it hauled its bloody legs, watching the blood now start to pool under its body. I remained alert, checking there wasn’t another deathclaw waiting to catch me unawares. But we were now alone on the street and I aimed the minigun straight for its head and opened fire. It was the weakest point, leaving it as little more than must after a few seconds of fire.

Taking my finger off the trigger, I looked around to check we were alone. Walking back to the museum, I noticed Preston out on the patio once again, raising my hand. “It should be safe now!” I called out, my voice through the speakers no doubt sounding differently to him.

“We’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

I stored the minigun on the slot on the back as I waited, Codsworth appearing from the side of the museum. “Are you okay, sir?”

“I’m fine, Codsworth. I’m guessing the world is not a very nice place, though. I hope I don’t run into too many of those deathclaws. As for raiders, well… None of them were well trained.” I walked back towards some of the bodies, checking them for the standard of armour and weaponry. Armour was as basic as possible, most not wearing much more than something across their chest, mostly leather than one or two had metal armour. Looked little more than scavenged metal that was moulded together. Might stop a few bullets but nothing like what I was wearing. As for the weapons, I picked up a pistol and rifle, checking them over. I hadn’t seen anything like them before.

“We call it pipe weaponry. No doubt basic to what you were used to,” Sturges said.

“I assume these are abundant, though?”

“Easy to make from salvage. Long as it shoots bullets, a lot of people are happy.”

“How long will a core last?” Preston asked once the five had joined me, with Max and Codsworth as well.

“In a suit of power armour? A long time. It’s nuclear energy. The whole point was clean and long lasting power. I have two questions, though. Can we find more power armour? And can we find more cores? Because if we find cores, we can power things other than armour.”

Preston grinned. “Sounds like you have a plan, Nate.”

“You wanted to head to Sanctuary, right?” He nodded. “Well, I think we might have a lot of us. The place is nothing but ruins, including the house I bought with my wife. But depending on what you have planned, there’s enough to at least make some shelter from the elements.”

“More than that, Nate. We can make it a settlement.”

“You reckon?”

“There are plenty already around the Commonwealth. Small farms where people try to scrape a living. No reason why we can’t do the same with Sanctuary.”

“I’m not really a farmer. And I have things to do.”

“Get us to Sanctuary and we can discuss it further.”

Before leaving, we picked over the bodies, taking what we could, most weapons and ammo, but we also checked any buildings we could for supplies. Sturges eventually grabbed some sort of cart, loading it up with salvage, explaining as he did that he had some technical know-how, and with the right bits, should be able to build some basic things for us to use.

We spent a few hours loading up the cart before I suggested we should head back before it gets dark. The cart was rather heavy, finding a cable that could be tied around my armour, and I was able to drag it along, now armed with my musket as the six humans, plus a dog and a robot, began the walk back to Sanctuary. No-one had much to say. Preston and I remained alert for any raiders. Sturges seemed to be deep in thought. The Long couple appeared on the verge of mental exhaustion. Mama Murphy just looked tired and beaten down by everything.

I was a bit worried crossing the bridge in heavy power armour, but it stayed standing. I pointed out where the vault was, though suggested I didn’t particularly want to return there anytime soon, though figured I should probably at least collect the bodies for burial eventually. They deserved that much, at least. A few of them had been friendly neighbours, accepting of Nora and I moving in straight away.

“That was my home,” I said, gesturing to the ruins of what had once been a house I’d happily shared with my wife. “Not much left of it now.”

“No doubt the entire area has been picked apart by scavengers,” Preston stated.

We based ourselves across the road as I stepped out of the power armour, making sure it was sealed tight. I thought about ejecting the F.C, but the armour automatically switched off when empty, so that wasn’t a problem. As long as the core had plenty of juice, I wouldn’t have to worry about it running out for a long time yet.

With at least a little light left, we headed out and started to move some furniture into the house, just a couple of chairs and a couch, while we managed to find a couple of mattresses that someone could use. As for food, I had what little remaining, but at least they all had canteens of water, so dehydration wasn’t going to be a problem.

“It’s peaceful here. First time we’ve had that in weeks,” Preston finally stated once light disappeared. We’d started a small fire to provide some light outside. Mama Murphy and Marcy had already headed to bed. I still felt a little adrenaline pumping after the battle. It always took time to wear off completely.

“It’s why we moved here originally. It was a nice little place to call home.”

“What was life like, pre-war? To be honest, no-one knows now. We’ve just been left with what happened after the bombs dropped.”

“In some ways, it was idyllic, for some people anyway. I was a military man, though. Served for fifteen years in Alaska.” He looked at me blankly. “It was a state of the United States, up north. We fought the Chinese there for ten years.”

“Heard of them before. They were the ones bombed?”

“I have no idea. Once we heard the siren to get to the vault, my only thought was saving my wife and myself. We were frozen within a few minutes. I have no idea who bombed us, why or what happened afterwards. I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant, though. I knew all about radiation. I never experienced a nuclear attack, but they were experimenting with mini-warheads. Saw the effects of them more than once.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, life was somewhat peaceful. But there were issues. Canada was annexed, something they hated. Read more than one news story of a massacre taking place. Food shortages were common as everything was focused on the war effort. Ever heard of Europe? The Middle East?” He shook his head again. “They destroyed themselves fighting over oil. To be honest, by 2077, only the United States and China remained as any real power. Europe devolved into anarchy. The Middle East was basically nuked. The rest of Asia was a mess. No idea about Africa.”

“I think a lot of people have an idealised vision of what was life before the bombs,” Preston stated, “What about… your wife, if I may ask?”

“We’d only been married a few months. I left the service of January ’77, and I was married around six months later. We only bought the house a couple of months before the war. Thank my lucky stars that Vault-Tec man showed up the day before the bombs dropped.” I paused a moment. “Ah, shit, and I bet the Sox still didn’t win the World Series!”

“The Sox?”

“Baseball team in Boston. Know what baseball is?”

“I’ve heard it mentioned before.”

I could only sigh. “I’ll be honest, Preston. Life before the war was better than this. At least I could look around and not see everything… dead. What’s Boston like?”

“A lot of it still stands, though obviously there are plenty of ruins. Obviously empty of a lot of life though. From the little any of us know, the bomb meant for Boston hit far to the south-west of the city. An area now called the Glowing Sea. Nothing but a heavily irradiated wasteland.”

“Yeah, that’s what we were always told. The crater and surrounding area would be lethal. But the further away, the less fallout, and over the years, that would slowly disappear. Humans would be able to live but there would be health concerns because of it.” I glanced at him. “So what’s your idea, Preston? I assume you haven’t come all this way without one.”

“To be honest, we need to rebuild civilisation. A tall order, I know, but we have to do something.” He paused before nodding to himself. “We came from a place called Quincy. I assume you know it.”

“Yeah, far to the south-east. Quite a walk.”

“We had a small community there. Thriving, to be honest. Had everything we needed. Crops. Water. Defences. And the Minutemen helped patrol the area. But it wasn’t enough. We were attacked, scores were killed, and many Minutemen simply gave up and walked away. When we escaped, there were twenty of us. Between there and Concord, we simply didn’t have the numbers to keep safe. I’m amazed any of us made it to Concord. Honestly thought the five of us was going to die there. Glad you showed up.”

“Okay, so let me put my ‘Major’ hat on. What any place needs is supplies. People need food, water, and shelter. Those are the most basic needs anyone needs. After that, we need other supplies. Electricity would be a start.”

“Sturges is out tech guy. Give him enough supplies, and he’ll even have things like lights for us.” He gestured with his head. “Could probably mod your armour given the right tools.”

“We’ll worry about that later. We need the basics down first.” Gesturing, I said, “Some of these houses would be somewhat habitable with a little work. Fix up the roof of each, a bit of work on the walls, keep anyone living in them dry at least.” I paused, thinking about any base I was part of. “Defence will be important. Whether raiders would come this far, I don’t know, but if they were operating in Concord, then they must know about Sanctuary. They might just venture this way eventually.”

“Sounds like we’re going to need numbers.”

“Are there radios around?”

“Yeah, plenty of people still use ham radio. Short wave radios are common.”

“Okay, my power armour has an in-built radio so that’s something to consider. I can link the suit to my Pip-Boy, at least. I’ve already picked up a couple of radio stations.”

“If you find any old relay towers, you should fire those up,” Sturges suggested, “It will broaden the range of your own radio, and we should be able to retain contact once we get our own.”

“Do you still intend on heading to Boston?” Preston asked.

“It’s not urgent, but yes, I want to. I want answers about Vault-Tec. I’m guessing it’s abandoned like everywhere else, unless they built their own vault underneath or something.”

“I think there’s at least one vault near the centre,” Sturges added, “Vault 81. Not sure exactly where it is though.”

“That’s another avenue. See if they have some answers.”

“But you’re willing to help us for now?” Preston asked.

“Sure. To be honest, it sounds like you need all the help you can get. So I think we can get to work tomorrow morning, see what we can do to make ourselves somewhat comfortable.”

I let the others take a couch or chair, happy enough to just lie on the ground inside, Max lying down next to me so at least I had his warmth alongside. There were a few gaps in the roof, so I knew that would need fixing immediately. Good thing I was half decent with my hands, as when I was grunt before rising the ranks, I’d spent more than enough time fixing things. I could certainly keep on top of all the weapons, and we’d found a little oil so I could keep my weapons clean.

But I already had a list of things in my head. Food. Water. Supplies. Exploring the local region. Find settlements or farms willing to help, perhaps trade. I’d asked about what the currency was and Preston told me about caps. When asking about pre-war money, I was told it was worthless, though people found other uses for it. As it was made of cloth, it was used for clothing, bedding, and other uses. Though amusing, I figured it was better than nothing.

All I knew is that I certainly hadn’t planned to ever leave the vault. Having taken the elevator down over two hundred years ago, I already thought that was the place I was going to die. Now I was awake and alive two hundred years after the bombs dropped, and I probably should have been completely lost. But I now had a mission. That’s how I saw it. Preston seemed like a good man, someone I could perhaps use as an ally. If the others chipped in, and we somehow managed to bring more people in, there was a chance that it could all work. From what Preston told me, there were small communities across the Commonwealth.

The next morning, we pooled together our somewhat meagre resources. We had enough food for a few days, and there was enough water to prevent dehydration, but it would be exhausted quickly enough. I looked around and it seemed they were all looking at me.

“Let’s get to work.”


	3. Quid Pro Quo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only three chapters in but I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments. Though I'm not exactly taking requests, if there is something you want to see, I'll see if I can delivery it. I have an idea of how to bring it all together but it's getting that that's the adventure.

Preston hadn’t lied about Sturges being a technical guru. While Preston and I set about fixing the roof and walls of the house, he set about getting a few things working that would help us, while he suggested he could take a look at my power armour whenever I needed. Meanwhile, the two Long’s and Mama Murphy foraged nearby for anything we could use, each of them taking at least a pistol, just in case they ran into trouble. They managed to return with some wild fruits, nothing I recognised but assured it was all edible, and the three set about planting a few crops out the back. “They’ll grow quicker than you expect, Nate,” Mama Murphy assured me. I should hope so, as after only a couple of days, with six mouths to feed, we were rationing carefully but the stocks were already dwindling.

It was a few days later that Preston and I were in conference on the deserted street, another warm, sunny day. I’d already thought ‘to hell with it’ and bathed in the water by the bridge. I checked with a Geiger counter, and there was a little radiation. Telling Sturges what I wanted, he managed to procure some anti-radiation medicine for me. “Just inject it and you’ll be good, Nate.”

“Really? I mean, I read about this sort of stuff…”

“Rad-x. We live by the stuff whenever hitting an irradiated area. If you’re feeling the effects, just get your hands on some Radaway. Works like a charm.”

So I headed down to the river, injected as instructed, then hit the water. No soap for the moment, but I at least felt a little cleaner than before, and that’s all anyone wanted. I only spent a couple of minutes, not wanting to tempt fate too much, Sturges suggesting the anti-rad medicine would remain in my system for quite a while, at least twenty-four hours. I was already used to not having a chance to bathe daily, sometimes going a week or more while at the front in Alaska, and I figured I’d be living the same life yet again.

But in addition to the building work Preston and I was doing, he managed to fashion a generator from parts scrounged. I’m not sure how he did it, but the sound was music to my ears. The next day, he managed to get electricity before he then sketched out a plan for us. “I can build us some sort of radio beacon. If people are listening, we can let them know about Sanctuary.”

“What about raiders?” Preston asked.

“A chance we’ll have to take. But if we’re serious about this, we’re going to need numbers,” I replied before turning around. “We’ve got at least six houses we can fix up and make habitable. Those in ruins, we tear apart and use for scrap. Sturges, how will you make the beacon?”

“There’s enough steel around here to make a rudimentary dish and antenna. Long as it’s tall enough, the signal should carry at least some distance.”

“Do it.” He nodded and headed off as I turned to Preston. “We need food.”

“I know. Crops might grow fast but not _that_ fast. And we could do with a source of meat too.”

“What about those double-headed cows…”

“We call those brahmin. And, yes, I can see your thought process. They’re mutated cows but their meat is good eating. Leather as well. Use them as pack animals. You might see a few traders, or caravans, wandering the Commonwealth.”

“We’ll just have to find salt to keep it good.”

“You can find salt anywhere, Nate. That won’t be a problem.”

“Okay, so we’ve got salt beef. What else?”

“Would you be willing to eat radroach?”

“No. I’m not eating what were once cockroaches. The stench alone when I killed one nearly made me vomit.”

“Bloatfly?”

“What?”

“Big arse mutated flies.”

“God no. Look, I’m pre-war. We at beef, chicken, lamb… veal…”

“Ah, radstags. You can always go hunting for those, but you’d need some sort of hunting rifle, as they startle easily. Much like brahmin, if you manage to kill one, it’s good meat and leather. Though, if you’re feeling brave, mirelurks.”

“Mire-what?”

“They’re from the ocean. They have a hard shell but some very good meat if you manage to kill one.”

“Sounds like a mutated crab. Okay, so that’s always an opportunity if I end up near water. So there’s a chance for a little meat. Get a fire and a rudimentary spit going, and we can at least eat some of that. So next is another food source. Fruit and vegetables. I’m aware many of them are mutated but eatable, and that’s all that matters. You know where there are nearby farms?”

“I don’t know their locations, but I’ve heard about two. One is called Abernathy Farm. Family run place to the west of here, I think it was north of Concord. We were looking at stopping there to resupply before we were hit by the raiders. Second farm is to the east of here, at least from word of mouth. Tenplines Bluff. Run by a couple of settlers. An isolated settlement but they might sell us crops too.”

“How do they store things nowadays?”

“Due to the mutations, fruit and vegetables seem to last forever, even after cultivation. I guess it comes with the new conditions it has to grow in.”

“Well, that’s something at least.”

“You planning on heading out then?”

“If they can supply us with enough food to keep us going for a couple to a few weeks. We’ll just have to ration carefully. Sturges is working on a water pump, so hopefully ground water is safe to drink. If not, we just boil it. I was always told boiling water kills most things. Other than that, we need to work on a way of making this place safe. The bridge is the only way in and out so we need to guard that.”

“Once we have some settlers arrive, we might have to give them a little training, then set a patrol schedule.”

I nodded. “Good enough for me. Nearly everyone can help. Not Mama Murphy. She’s… too old. And I’d rather Sturges keep working on all his projects if necessary.”

“How is the food we find in packets still edible?” he wondered.

“Chemicals and preservatives. No doubt they planned for life in the vaults, and it made its way into food sold in supermarkets. Fruit, vegetables, meat and milk was still perishable, but anything boxed was planned to last… a long time. I didn’t think this long, but anything I’ve opened up hasn’t been that bad.”

“Well, can’t complain as it’s kept some of us fed for a long time now. And there is still an abundance out there. The rule always was when out on patrol to grab anything that could be used for later. Food and water was essential, though if we get an actual farm going here…”

“Let’s not get too excited, Preston. Lot of work to go yet, but we’ve made a good start.”

A couple of days later, we had the roof and most of the walls somewhat fixed on the first house. Certainly shouldn’t be too many water leaks anyway, and when Sturges managed to get a few light bulbs fixed and wired up, we had a house with lights. No running water, but small steps to start off with. Sturges was on the verge of getting the beacon ready, while I was now planning my own trip.

Grabbing some paper and a pencil, I started to make a map of the surrounding area, taking guesses at distances. Lexington was south. At least a half days walk. Anything further than that, I was looking at time away from Sanctuary for it to be a worthwhile venture. I still thought about Vault-Tec and what happened. I did show Preston where I’d buried my wife, having fashioned a small wooden cross for her, with her name, date of birth and put her date of death as October 23rd, 2077. She’d been a believer, more so than myself. I now wore our wedding rings on a thin band around my neck. I was tempted to just hide them away somewhere, perhaps the safe in our old home, but I wanted a close reminder, feeling them every so often as a reminder to at least find out why. Anyone responsible was long dead, but if I could find answers, that would suffice.

A week after meeting Preston and the others, it was time to finally leave Sanctuary again. Not willing to travel without power armour just yet, it came with an in-built compass, Preston letting me know that he thought that Abernathy Farm was due west of Concord. That worked for me, so leaving just after dawn, I clipped weapons to my armour and began the journey, only Max at my side, as Codsworth was proving rather handy at helping Sturges with all his projects.

The road back to Concord was still deserted. Walking down the main street again, the bodies remained where they had fallen. I did have to tell Max to back away a couple of times. Dead bodies were not something to be tampered with. Checking the compass, I turned until we were heading west, then began the walk into the wilderness. Most of the grass did seem to be dead, though there was no surprise weeds seemed to be flourishing. Every single tree was dead as well.

I sent Max ahead to sniff out anything dangerous. He seemed to understand nearly everything I said, from simple one word commands to more complex instructions. I certainly wasn’t going to complain though. I’d always wanted a dog!

The walk to Abernathy Farm barely took a couple of hours, and in an air-conditioned suit of power armour, it wasn’t too difficult. Though I was almost a walking tank, I had to put little effort into actually moving, the suit doing everything for me. Eventually I noticed a steel lattice structure, an old transmission tower, which had what looked like a wooden building built around and within it. I guessed it was safe as I doubted any electricity was still flowing.

Showing up in power armour definitely scared the shit out of them, a woman tilling the land noticing my approach. She yelled out something, an older man and younger woman appearing from inside the shack. The man definitely yelled something as he took out a rifle, pointing it in my direction. I ordered Max to halt and sit as I held up both hands, keeping them away from weapons. No matter where he shot, the bullet would just ding off, but I wasn’t there to fight. I could understand the reaction.

“I’m friendly!” I yelled out.

“Prove it!” the man yelled back.

The only thing I think of to do was step out of the armour. Once I’d done so, he still pointed the rifle in my direction but relaxed slightly, spinning slowly to show I was unarmed. “I’m just here to hopefully trade,” I shouted.

His rifle dropped, pointing away though still in position to be raised quickly to fire. “Okay, you can approach. Carefully.”

“Max, up. Take it slow, boy.” I walked forward slowly, and with each few steps, the gun was eventually lowered to his side. I glanced to see the two woman slowly approach at the same time. “This Abernathy Farm?”

“It is. Who are you?”

“Nate. I’m from Sanctuary Hills.”

He glanced at his wife before looking at me. “Sanctuary Hills? What are you doing there? The place has always been empty.”

“Not anymore. It’s a long story but we’re making a settlement. We need food though. I was told you might have crops to sell. And if you have seeds that we could use, it would be appreciated.”

He leaned and looked past me. “Where hell did you find power armour?”

“Concord. Part of that long story.”

He looked at his wife again, and she nodded, so the gun was looped around his body and he looked at me. “Grab your power armour, bring it closer to the house. I’m sure we can do you a good deal.”

After grabbing the power armour, leaving that outside the house, making sure I took the F.C out of it, I headed inside, where introductions were made. Blake, the husband; Connie, the wife; and Lucy, the daughter. Taking a seat on one of the battered old lounges, I was offered a cup of water, accepting it with thanks, as the three gathered around. “Don’t get too many traders up this way. Not anymore,” Connie stated.

“And we’re careful of raiders after…” Blake paused, “After Mary.”

“You were attacked?” I asked.

The chuckle was bitter. “We’re always under threat. Isolated farm like this has advantages, but if raiders learn of your existence, they have no problem showing up in force, taking what they want, killing who they want. Mary fought back and…” He trailed off and looked away.

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. But what’s your story?” He looked me up and down. “What brought you to Sanctuary of all places?”

“I’m from a vault.” That didn’t seem to be a surprise. “And I lived there before the bombs dropped.” That caused surprise, which I had a feeling I was going to find a little enjoyment in.

“That’s going to take some explaining,” Connie suggested, so I gave them a brief outline of my life, general military service, Nora and what happened in the vault.

“So I met Preston and his small group in Concord and we’re trying to get a settlement started.”

“And he’s a Minuteman?”

“He is.” I looked at the door to where my power armour was resting. “Guess I could count myself as one too. Considering what power armour would allow me to do.”

“Take the fight to raiders?” Blake asked. I met his eyes. I had a feeling this would go somewhere else. I nodded and he clearly thought. “The raiders who killed my daughter… they took something of hers. To anyone else, it would mean nothing, but it’s important to us, and it was important to her. So I’m willing to make you an offer.”

“I’ll hear it.”

“Get that locket back for us, and we’ll assist Sanctuary however we can. We’ll set up a trade route, or at least set up a trade. We’ll supply you with food if you can provide protection. We grow more than enough for the three of us.”

“I’ll certainly do what I can regarding that, but we’re going to need more numbers before I can offer full-time protection.”

Blake looked at his wife. “What do you think?”

“We need help, Blake, and it sounds like our new friend here needs it too.” She looked at me. “You were part of the military?”

“United States Army, ma’am. Rank of Major.”

“Was that a high rank?”

“Two steps below Colonel, three below Brigadier General. That’s when you earn a star. Battalions I looked after in Alaska generally numbered between three to five hundred officers and soldiers.”

“So a lot of responsibility?” Blake asked.

“I had their lives in my hands. I received orders and passed them down, knowing I could be sending a lot of them to die. So what I’m doing now? Simply trying to help people survive. Good thing I was always adept at organisation. I’ve only been out of the fridge for a little over a week and my life is completely different.”

“Are you willing to do that favour for us?”

“Yes. Favour for a favour. Do you know where they are?”

“These raiders were based north-east of here. I heard them talking when they had us roped up. They mentioned something about Olivia Station.”

I knew immediately to where they referred. An old satellite station that was mostly used to intercept and decode enemy transmissions, generally from the Chinese, though I’m sure they spied on us at the time as well. Places like that would have been a haven for criminal elements as they would be well-fortified. I was going over ideas in my head immediately. “Looks like he’s thinking already,” Mary whispered.

“I remember driving by it once with my wife. We did a lot of travelling around the Commonwealth when we had the chance.” I looked at Blake. “Ever heard of Tenpines Bluff?”

“Yes, they’re another small farm to the east of here. Lovely couple. We occasionally trade with them. Generally, we’ll send each other messages by caravans that sometimes make their way up north.”

“I’ll be heading there either tomorrow or the day after. So I’ll go see them then swing back to Olivia, take care of the raiders there, then head back here. Might be a few days, and if I don’t return, that means I’m dead. Power armour is good but it’s not indestructible.”

“Don’t get yourself killed on our account, Nate. Just do whatever you can,” Blake stated.

“We’ll give you some food and seeds now,” Connie added.

I chuckled. “Tato… Never thought I’d see a half tomato, half potato.”

“Tastes damned good though,” Connie stated, “Particularly in a stew. If you have enough people, I would suggest farming brahmin. Good for meat and leather.”

“Are there a lot of them around?”

“Yes, there are plenty. All you need do is corral them. They’re docile otherwise,” Blake replied.

“Good for fertiliser as well,” Lucy added.

They gave me a small bag, noticing how many tato’s they gave me, and a small bag of seeds. I could only shake their hands, thanking them profusely. “You’ll have vines within a week, and tato’s growing within two to three if you plant them correctly.”

“They grow that fast?”

“It’s to do with the mutations,” Blake replied, “If you can, get your hands on mutfruit. Damned tasty. Corn still grows as well. Carrots too.”

“Healthy diet.”

“Probably better than what you enjoyed pre-war. Just have to be careful of the radiation at times.”

“Thank you all for the assistance. This will keep us going for a couple of weeks.” I grabbed a piece of paper. “Do you have a ham radio?”

“We do.”

“Tune it to this frequency. I think it’s the frequency of my Pip-Boy, and I’m still working on getting the radio in my helmet to the right one too. If you have any trouble, you can reach me on my radio. Otherwise, you can send messages and, if we’re listening at the right time, we’ll hear you.”

“Thank you in return, Nate.”

They watched as I slid inside my power armour again and, with a last wave, I headed straight back to Sanctuary. It took a couple of hours crossing overland, and I did have to fire a couple of shots in the air to scare off a couple of wild dogs. Max was a good boy, obeying my commands to just let them go.

Making it back to Sanctuary, I got out of my power armour before reporting progress made. No-one was surprised to hear it was a favour for a favour, but Preston was pleased that they would accept a trade link in the end. “Farms like theirs will keep us fed until our crops are going.” I showed him the supplies I’d been given, and that earned a slap on the back. “Excellent. We’ll get the seeds planted immediately. Will you head to Tenpines Bluff tomorrow?”

“Yes, and hit Olivia Station on the way back. I might not be back until day after next, depending on the situation. I’ll be going well armed if I’m taking on a gang of raiders.”

“Want any help?”

“You stay here and protect these people, Preston. When does Sturges think the beacon will be up?”

“Tomorrow, and we’ll begin transmitting immediately. Hopefully a few people will head in our direction.”

“Soon as we have some numbers, and if you want to restart the Minutemen, then you’re going to need recruits to train. They’re going to need weapons, at the least.” I paused for a moment, thinking. “We’ll head back to Concord and pick up all the weapons left by the dead raiders, whether on the street or in the museum. I’ll grab what I can from Olivia Station as well. Hopefully I’ll find us some more supplies as well. Dying for a cigarette, to be honest.”

He grinned. “Hold one minute,” he said, walking indoors, returning seconds later with a packet and flip-lighter. “Didn’t know you smoked, so didn’t think to offer.”

“Do you?”

“No. But feel free to smoke the pack.”

I sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall, taking a nail from the pack, placing it between my lips before lighting it up, sucking down the smoke and holding it for a moment. Probably the best feeling since I’d woken up, savouring the taste. Yes, smoking was bad for you but, honestly, I didn’t care any longer.

“Good?” Preston asked.

“The wife and I would enjoy some really good sex and then share a cigarette afterwards.” I paused and chuckled. “God, if she was alive and heard me say that…”

He sat down next to me as we stared up at the sky. “Think she’s up there looking down?”

“She believed so, yes, she’s up there. Better than the alternative.” I paused again. “I’m glad she’s not going through this. The world as it is now? Harsh doesn’t even begin to describe it. And it’s our fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“We dropped the bombs and destroyed the world. If Boston looks like this, I wonder what places like New York, DC, California or Texas look like. DC must have been obliterated. New York too.” I glanced his way. “Don’t suppose news reached this way?”

“Nothing I’ve heard nor anyone still alive of our group. No-one travels like that anymore. Just travelling the Commonwealth is dangerous. Going from here to somewhere like DC? Almost impossible now. The only way you could possibly move is by caravan, and travelling those sort of distances just isn’t really done, unless you’re willing to pay a lot of caps.”

I ended up enjoying three or four smokes in addition to a glass of bourbon, opening a bottle and pouring one for Preston and Sturges as well. The Long’s seemed to keep to themselves, Jun walking around, slumped as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, while Marcy was just…angry. I didn’t blame her, to be honest.

The next morning, I decided to head off straight away, making sure I took the minigun this time, in addition to my shotgun and pistol. I took Max with me again. Sturges help me link my Pip-Boy to the power armour interface, so I was able to bring up a map that contained co-ordinates. Sanctuary Hills and Abernathy Farm now appeared on the map. “The compass links with the map, so you can save the co-ordinates whenever you want, and all you need to do is give it a quick label. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“So he says,” I muttered, “But thanks. It’ll be trial and error until I figure it out.”

Max was excited to head out again as we headed out across the bridge, past the Red Rocket, turning left to head east just before hitting Concord. It was then virtual silence except for my breathing, Max scouting ahead, sniffing the ground but not heading off out of sight. And all I could do was look around and see continuous devastation. It appeared everything had been abandoned. Cars, trucks and buses remained where they’d likely ground to a halt the day the bombs fell.

I was told that if I make it to Bedford Station and head due north-east, I should eventually stumble upon Tenpines Bluff. Approaching Bedford Station, Max came to a halt and growled, his body language suggesting he was ready to attack. I stopped next to him, crouching down. “What is it, boy?” I asked quietly. He growled again. “You smell something bad?”

I did wonder what he could smell, but I didn’t particularly want a fight, so checking our position, I headed north to skirt around the station, keeping into cover where I could, checking to see what Max had sensed. I couldn’t see anything though saw a number of bodies. Considering they looked… fleshy, I did wonder who or even what they may have been.

But I put that out of my mind for the time being, checking the compass again, and headed in the direction I thought was correct. In the end, we passed the farm and had to head south to find it. The farm was on a bluff, overlooking the ruins of a nearby elevated highway. Their reaction to my arrival was similar to Abernathy Farm, though both approached me armed, ready to fire. I performed the same act as before, getting out of my armour to reassure them I was friendly.

“What brings you out this way, stranger?” the male asked, introducing himself as Michael, his wife as Laura.

“Trade. A group of us are forming a new settlement at Sanctuary Hills. We need supplies, primarily food. I was hoping to either purchase some produce or form some of trade agreement.”

“Sanctuary Hills? Where is that?”

“West of here, north of Concord.”

“Anywhere near Abernathy Farm?”

“A couple of hours walk at most. I visited their farm yesterday with the same idea.” I paused and smiled. “Had the same reception too. Showing up in power armour…”

They both smiled. “The occasional raider has a basic form of power armour. Usually the frame with their own modifications. We see it show up and naturally grow concerned,” Laura stated.

“We can definitely agree to something,” Michael added, “You do something for us, we’ll do something for you.”

“Favour for a favour? I can do that.”

“Who do you represent?” he wondered.

“One of those in my group is a Minuteman. You know who they are?”

“Word reached us what happened in Quincy. I’m surprised any of them remain in uniform,” he replied.

Preston hadn’t told me what happened. So I had to ask, “What happened?”

“Details are sketchy as we only receive it through word of mouth long after it happened, but apparently the Minuteman collapsed, a bunch of civilians were massacred and some Minutemen turned raider instead.”

“Shit,” I muttered.

“Are you with the Minutemen?” Laura asked.

“It’s a long story, but I was United States Army. Considering my life now, I guess I’ll end up considering myself as a Minuteman as well. Better than any alternative.”

“I’m sure Frank Abernathy already asked but if you could organise some defences for us…”

“Already spoken to Preston about that,” I stated, “As soon as we get settlers arriving, we’re going to train some up and send them to Abernathy, and we can also send them here to assist with farming, but also ensure your farm is safe. We’ll send at least a trio to each farm to begin with.”

“Once the caravans hear of your new settlement, you should have little problem with supplies. There are at least half a dozen regulars that operate around the Boston area,” Michael explained, “Anyway, about the favour. Have you been told about ghouls?”

“The basics.”

“A pack of feral ghouls has moved into an area nearby. Bedford Station. There’s only two of us and there’s nothing we can do. They’ve started wandering out and we’re concerned they might end up attacking us. There’s no reasoning with feral ghouls, all you can do is put them down. Think you could take care of it for us?”

“I think I saw a few of them lying around earlier. I was wondering if it was a ghoul or two.”

“They do that to sucker in people.”

“Okay, favour for a favour. It’s not far away. I’ll take care of that, let you know, then I have to hit Olivia Station.”

“If you wish, you can camp here for the night before leaving tomorrow. You won’t make it there before sundown, and you don’t want to be travelling the roads at night, even in power armour. We have a spare bedroll if you don’t mind sleeping under the stars.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

Getting back into my power armour, I didn’t think I’d need a mini-gun for ghouls. Didn’t know how tough they’d be, but assumed it wouldn’t be like fighting a deathclaw. I figured just a shotgun for some crowd control. Anything feral meant it would be aggressive, vicious, attack without really thinking. Suited me. I’d just blast away.

Max headed out, sniffing away, as we approached the station no more than half an hour later. Taking a knee, I assumed there must be a few down there. I looked down at Max, who started to pant, tongue sticking out, no doubt waiting for the order. “Max, round them up. To me. Understand, boy?”

He barked happily then disappeared as I just headed straight for the first ghoul I could see. It started to rise as I approached and I got my first good look at one. Horrific was the word that came to mind. Skinless, muscles and everything else on display. Their eyes were almost inhuman. No nose, lips, ears. No hair at all. And being naked, no sexual organs either.

And it immediately charged at me. So I just levelled my shotgun and pulled the trigger, sending it flying back, a gaping wound in its chest. I heard Max barking and more growls as he led the ghouls in my direction. “Good boy, Max!” I shouted as I stepped forward, lining up the next ghoul. There were quite a few of them, so I let them come to me, finger on the trigger again, pull, pull, pull.

There were more than anticipated, shotgun eventually empty, so I dropped then and took out my pistol. Now it was headshots, if possible. One ghoul got close, basically charging and leaping at me. It collided with my armour and fell to the ground, so I simply stamped on its head. The sound of it squishing was rather horrible, but it distracted me enough two more ghouls were upon me.

Max grabbed the ankle of one and basically dragged it away while I hurled the second one away from me. It stood up and charged again, levelling the pistol and putting a bullet through its rotted brain, before grabbing the wrist of the ghoul attacking Max, flinging it away and shooting that one three times in the chest.

Picking up the shotgun, I quickly put a few rounds in and went searching, finding two more that were hiding underneath a carriage, shooting one before it could stand up, the other I put a round into its chest, surprised it kept moving, so blew its head off with a second blast.

“Max, go check.” He barked again, running around the lone building, sniffing around a few carriages, before he returned and sat in front of me. I gave him a scratch on the head. “Good boy. Really need to find you some food, eh? Or will you eat meat I don’t like?” He barked a couple of times. “Yeah, dogs will eat anything. Just don’t eat ghoul.” He whimpered at that. “I’m fairly sure you can understand everything I’m saying. Right, I think we should check around, see if we can find supplies.”

I hit a little jackpot as an adjoining signalling post had a few cans of food. Two centuries later or not, I didn’t care. I also found a can of dog food, showing it to Max, who was very happy with the find. I found something I could put it all in, performed a last check for any ghouls being sneaky, before heading back to Tenpines Bluff. They were pleased to hear the news the ghouls had been dealt with and assured them that, if any returned, just send word and we’d clear them out again.

The three of us sat as night fell, sitting around a small fire as we enjoyed a small meal of a few cooked vegetables. They might have been mutated versions of what I’d once known but they still filled the gap. The one thing that seemed to be abundant was alcohol, as a bottle of vodka was popped, cups produced, as we enjoyed a couple of drinks under the stars, before they headed to bed, needing to rise with the sun. Guess it was just like the days in the distant past, rising with the sun, heading inside as it set, then sleeping early.

I woke with them the next morning and after being handed a few supplies, I wished them good luck as Max and I headed off. The satellite dish came into view within the hour, the closer we approached, the slower I walked. Once I was within range of anyone at least half talented with a rifle, I stopped behind a few dead trees and tried to ascertain how many were on site. There were wooden steps and some other wooden features, so it appeared the raiders had been resident for quite a while.

Though using the minigun would be fun, I elected to go with a shotgun again, figuring it would end up being rather close quarters fighting. I wasn’t invincible with power armour, but if I was being fired at by just these pipe weapons all raiders seemed to carry, then I wasn’t overly concerned.

No point trying to sneak in power armour, considering the bulky frame, the enemy no doubt seeing and hearing me coming. Whoever was on lookout duty up in the satellite dish saw me coming, as I didn’t hear a shout, but bullets started to fly immediately. I learned quite quickly that raiders used intimidation tactics, no doubt used to scaring and fighting scared civilians and settlers. And when one charged me with a melee weapon, I almost burst out laughing… then put a shot into his chest, sending him flying backwards.

“Oh fuck!” he cried, stepping over his soon to be dead body, hearing bullets now ricochet off my armour. I knew I couldn’t withstand a barrage forever, so quickly moved into some cover.

“Who the fuck is this clown?!” I heard one raider yell out.

“Get Ack-Ack. He’ll sort this fucker out!”

Okay, so Ack-Ack, whoever that was, seemed to be in charge. “You’re in trouble now, fucker. She’s going to tear you apart!”

Ah, so it was a woman. If they thought I’d hesitate shooting a woman, they were going to be disappointed. The Chinese used all-female units in Alaska, figuring we’d hesitate shooting. After the third atrocity, where units of men had hesitated and been wiped out, we butchered them like we did any male units. As I’ve said earlier, the fighting was barbaric at times.

Taking care of the few raiders outside wasn’t a problem, charging myself, and that was enough to put the frighteners into one raider. Heading up the stairs, I did worry about them breaking under my weight, and that’s where I found one raider on lookout duty with a sniper rifle. He turned to fire at me, the bullet glancing off and he seemed almost helpless as I raised my shotgun.

“Shit,” he muttered as I put him on the ground. Picking up the rifle, it was a pipe weapon but seemed to be in better condition than most of the others I’d seen. Best feature was that it came with a scope. I’d never been the best marksman but I’d always enjoyed lining up someone in my sights and putting a bullet in the target. I clipped that to my back and headed back downstairs to the building. Heading inside, it wasn’t a surprise that the facility was underground. A couple of raiders came towards me, no doubt to check what was going on, and the sound of shotgun blasts soon echoed, hearing shouted voices in return.

“Alright, fucker, you’ve just picked the wrong place to crash,” I heard someone yell.

“You’re in trouble now, arsehole. Ack-Ack will have your number shortly,” someone else yelled.

I just took the chance to fill up my shotgun with rounds and moved ahead cautiously, checking corners, sweeping any room I entered, taking a moment to check supplies I could take later. Max was still at my side, though I told him quietly to stay behind. I didn’t want him shot.

Ack-Ack made her appearance, and she earned her name due to the minigun she hauled around. I was impressed considering she didn’t wear armour, though once it spun up, she could barely control it. Once again, it was about producing fear and intimidating people. Bringing a minigun to scare a bunch of farmers? No wonder the Abernathy’s were scared to death.

This time, it was my turn to simply charge around. Anyone who got in my way was shot. The weaponry was still awful, Ack-Ack and I searching for each other as I didn’t present a still target. I was trying to circle around on her, get her from behind, not wanting to give her a chance to get the chance to spin the minigun up. Then I had an idea, whispering for Max to head to the entrance, and I found a corner of darkness to stand in, remaining completely still.

That’s when I saw Ack-Ack in the light for the first time. She looked absolutely crazy, face painted up like a clown, or some sort of freakish clown. She wore no armour, and I was still amazed she could haul around the minigun. She was the last one alive, having heard her swear more than once when finding the body of a colleague. I must have hidden myself well, as she walked right by me.

Soon as she passed me, I moved forward and she spun around to be greeted by the sight of the barrel of my shotgun, aimed right for her centre mass. I would pull the trigger more than once before she’d spun up the minigun.

“Who sent you?” she asked.

“Give me the locket, and I’ll consider letting you live, at least. Though you won’t be remaining here. I’ll be marching you off.”

She laughed. “All this for a fucking locket?” She paused and laughed even more. “The fucking farmers… Abernathy’s? They sent you here for a fucking locket?”

I pointed at the minigun. “Drop it.” Surprisingly, she did and I stepped forward, prodding her with the barrel, forcing her backwards. “No, not just a locket. I woke up after two hundred years in the fridge to find humanity a shadow of its former self, or so it seems. And cunts like you are now preying on the innocent with, from the sounds of it, no-one around to stop you. I think it’s time for a change and for the people to fight back.”

“You won’t last five minutes against all of us.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But I fought for an ideal once. Maybe I was wrong about that ideal, considering our own problems, but maybe this is something I can fight for and know it’s right.”

“Let me go and I’ll just come back with an even bigger force. We’ll just kill them all next time.”

I sighed. “You see, that was just the wrong thing to say, because although I’d love to do what was right…” I stepped forward, putting the barrel under her chin, “I saw some of the most awful shit in Alaska. And, between you and me, I did some awful shit as well. You think you intimidate me? Think I’m scared of a bunch of raiders? Wrong. I fought the fuckin’ Chinese Army, and they were warriors, trained to do one thing. Kill American soldiers. So we killed them in return, in great fuckin’ numbers. Did things to their corpses at times that would even make someone like you shudder. And don’t get me started on those taken prisoner. Think you know torture because you scare a few civilians? I’ve already seen the inhumanity of man. I’ve seen the sins we committed. I’ve lived through the bombs. I’ll now live through this, and I’ll wipe your kind from the map instead.”

I pulled the trigger, blood splattering into my helmet as her dissolved into little more than blood, bone and brains. While others thought it was disgusting, as I’d said, I saw the most sickening things possible in Alaska. The cruelty and barbarity on display at times had made me wonder just what we were capable of.

I left the minigun but took all the ammo, finding a duffel bag and heading around, grabbing all the supplies I thought worthwhile. I found plenty of food and purified water, plus vegetables that I assumed came from Abernathy Farm. Any ammo I could find I packed away, and I eventually found the locket, hidden away next to a bed. I also found an F.C, which would come in handy later on. I checked the charge of my armour and wasn’t surprised I’d barely used more than a percent or two. Cores were designed to last for decades, and armour designed to use them sparingly.

Max was waiting for me at the door leading outside, showing him the second can of dog food I’d found, left thinking humans were eating it simply due to lack of food otherwise. It was still bright and sunny heading outside, beginning the journey back to Sanctuary Hills. It was almost dark by the time I returned, requiring the spotlight as I skirted the edge of Concord, mostly so I didn’t trip over anything. And it let those in Sanctuary know it was me returning.

I noticed Preston’s face as I came into the light, giving me time to step out of my armour and I noticed why. The helmet and torso were covered in blood. “Obviously none of it is mine,” I stated, “But the raiders at Olivia Station won’t be an issue any longer.”

“You took them all out alone?”

I slapped one of the arms of the armour. “These are walking tanks. And the bullets pipe weapons use won’t penetrate this. And considering this is the most basic armour, if we get our hands on even better power armour.”

Sturges walked out and said, “Oh, there are plenty of frames around. And you’ll find suits here and there as well. Most are left where they are as you can’t just step into armour and use it. Takes training to use it.”

“So are they going to help us?” Preston asked.

“Tenpines? Yes. Quid pro quo. Favour for a favour. Took care of some feral ghouls for them.”

“Ah, had your first look at them. Just try not to shoot ghouls that aren’t feral.”

“I’ll do my best, but can only assume they still act civilised.”

“So what’s next?”

I glanced at Preston, wondering why he was asking me all the time. But I guessed, after everything that happened to him and his small group, he just didn’t want to be responsible any longer. I couldn’t really blame him. I glanced and nodded at the beacon. “I see that’s up. Is it broadcasting?”

“It is. The range won’t be brilliant just yet, but a lot of it is word of mouth. Caravans will already be passing word of a new settlement. Those willing to take the journey will eventually make their way up here.”

“Soon as we have a few more people, we’ll start fixing up a couple of more houses, hook up some electricity. Could do with a radio, to be honest. Are there any still broadcasting?”

“A couple. One plays classical music. The other is Diamond City radio.”

“Diamond City?”

“Largest settlement in the Commonwealth. Definitely worth a visit when you can organise it.”

“Okay, as to your question about what’s next, I’m not sure just yet. But I think a journey south might be worthwhile. What’s the condition of Lexington?”

“Full of raiders. We avoided it on the way to Concord. A whole group has taken over the old Corvega Assembly Plant. They control all approaches, taken over a few of the ruined buildings.”

“That Super-Duper Mart might still have supplies, even after all this time. Possibly been ransacked but might be worth checking.”

“It’s your choice, Major.”

“Nate, Preston. The United States Army no longer exists.” I paused. “But thanks. Never thought I’d end up doing something like this. Now, what I definitely need is a smoke and a drink. It’s been a long couple of days.”


	4. Ruins and Raiders

Everything hit me the following day, badly enough that I grabbed a bottle of bourbon, some cigarettes, and headed down to the river, sitting on the stone wall, dangling my legs over the edge, puffing on a cigarette while feeling it necessary to wipe my cheeks every so often. Everyone I knew was long gone. Nora was dead. Her parents and family. All my friends, whether in forces or at the docks. All of my neighbours. Even people I didn’t know, whether they were on television, radio, played for a sports team… Millions if not billions wiped out. Anyone I had known was gone, whether blown up in the first blast or died in numerous other horrific ways if they’d managed to survive.

Despite the fact I’d met survivors, it felt incredibly isolating. The world as I knew it was gone. As I’d told Preston, there was a feeling of almost being responsible. I didn’t push the button nor give the order, but it was the society I was part of that had blown up the world and consigned humanity to the meagre existence it now experienced. There appeared to be little joy in the world. Each day was a matter of survival, nothing but a harsh reality. Humanity had somehow survived, but I didn’t see much hope for the future, at least not yet. Maybe I would find something later that would.

Surprisingly, it was Mama Murphy who joined me later, having already smoked half a packet of cigarettes and enjoy a number of sips. Sitting next to me silently for a while, she rested a hand on my thigh. “I can’t even begin to understand how it must feel, having woken up to be greeted by the world you now see.”

“Part of me thinks I shouldn’t really be here. I should have died on the day the bombs dropped or still be in the fridge.”

“You were a soldier, correct?”

“Fifteen years.”

“Most don’t know much about the old world, how life was before the bombs. All those who survived are long dead, even people from the vaults. The only people who know what life was like are now ghouls, and there are not many of those around who can share what life was like.”

“It was better than this, obviously. People didn’t have to just scrape a living. There was something called the ‘American Dream’. If you studied and worked hard, you would be rewarded. I served my country, my wife studied her arse off. We could afford a house, a car, and a comfortable life.”

“People still dream, it’s just that it’s different now. Most simply dream and hope that the future will bring something a little brighter. Not worrying about raider attacks, not worrying if they can feed themselves and their children, not worrying about whether radiation will slowly kill them…” I handed her the bottle, smiling as she took a good sip before handing it back. “Do you feel alone?” she asked.

“A little bit. No-one alive can possibly understand what I’m experiencing. In an instant, everything changed. And I mean that’s what happened. I stepped into the pod one moment, and I fell out of it the next.”

“You didn’t dream while you were frozen?”

“No. Everything just shut down. It passed like this,” I replied, clicking my fingers.

“I guess the only question is what will you do now. I get the feeling you’re not one to just give up. And I know you needed time to yourself today. You grieve for a world that no longer exists.”

“I’ll do the only thing I was trained to do. I will fight. Good a reason as any is to keep people safe. That’s what we did in the army anyway, or it was one reason why many of us did. Groups like the raiders, feeding on the fear of people, killing without reason, stealing the meagre possessions of those struggling from one day to the next? I’ll put the fear into them in return. But I’m only one man. I’m going to need help doing it.”

“Can I share something with you, Nate?”

“Sure.”

“I have something called the ‘Sight’. And I saw something. I saw of you waking up and returning to the world.” I tried not to grin as it all sounded a little convenient. “But I saw you in the coming months, taking command, leading the people of the Commonwealth, helping them rise up against a common enemy.”

“Raiders?”

“No, an organisation far more sinister.”

“I’ll focus on raiders for now. If we can make this region safe for settlers, we can hopefully convince more to head here, train some to join the Minutemen, then really bring peace as best we can.”

“There is a bigger picture, Nate. Just don’t forget that. But I can agree with what you want to do first. After what happened in Quincy…”

“Preston won’t talk about it.”

“None of us will, Nate. What happened to us was horrific. I knew some of us would survive the ordeal, but it’s broken each of us in its own way. Preston feels responsible for it. The fact he still maintains his humanity is a credit to him. It could have broken him in numerous ways. He hasn’t exactly given up, but he needs a shoulder to lead him forward now. Trust me on this. He won’t be the only friend you’ll make during this.”

“Is that your ‘Sight’ talking?”

“A little bit. Keep doing what you’re doing and people will eventually follow. They need hope. You might just give them that.”

“Thanks.”

“Figured you needed a little pick me up. As I said, I can’t begin to comprehend, but the five of us here have appreciated everything you’ve done for us so far.”

“It was the right thing to do. I’ll help those who need it and bring force against those who interfere.”

“Then head to Lexington, Nate. That will help you clear a path south. Your destiny lies away from here, though everyone needs a base, a place to call home for a time.”

The first settlers arrived a couple of days later, five of them in total. It was just the shot in the arm we needed. Preston and I greeted them, and I’ll admit we interrogated them first, making sure they were not raiders, though I didn’t actually think raiders were that smart. Each came with few possessions, two did carry a weapon at least. We got to work immediately, putting them through some target practice. The three who could fire a weapon accurately were offered the chance to become Minutemen. One immediately accepted, the other two asked if they could think about it, suggesting they just wanted to be simple farmers. We were certainly not going to pressgang people into doing something they didn’t want.

As we didn’t have uniforms for any Minutemen recruits, Preston figured the easiest thing to do would be fashion emblems that could be sewed onto a shirt or jacket. Mama Murphy offered to do that for us. With five new people in our group, we immediately got to work fixing up another house, Preston and I on the roof first, making sure there were few leaks, before getting to work on the walls. It took a couple of days, the new settlers helping out, one or two also assisting with the crops. We had plenty now in the ground, it was a simple case of waiting for them to grow.

I asked each of them if they’d come via Lexington. Two of them had, though they couldn’t really tell me all that much about the situation on the ground. But I was of the mind to now head south, possibly stretching as far as the river, but Lexington was the first major suburb south before the river and then Boston itself. After Lexington was Cambridge, which was far larger, and could prove problematic passing through if raiders had set themselves up in force. I’d travelled Boston extensively, either when growing up or in the brief time I’d come home, but considering what happened, I doubted much of it would be recognisable.

Leaving the next morning, I did consider taking Preston along but, if raiders were there in number, going without any armour like him was bound to cause trouble. He understood my reasons why and suggested he and the others would set about preparing some defences. It sounded like a good idea. I also suggested we start thinking about sending out scavenging parties, to find any abandoned houses, factories or whatever to grab anything useful. We agreed to do that once we had more numbers arriving. For now, Sanctuary Hills would be our main focus, though once we had numbers, we’d send a trio of Minuteman to Abernathy and Tenpines on regular patrols.

I went armed again, minigun on my back, pistol, shotgun, and also the rifle I’d picked up from one of the dead raiders. Sturges and I had pulled it apart and checked it over, making a couple of modifications. It took .38 caliber, which doesn’t sound impressive, but I wouldn’t want to be shot by one. Overall, we agreed the rifle was in good condition for what it was, and I liked having a proper ranged weapon. That was more than enough weapons, the armour capable of carrying it all without an issue, but reaching back to grab a weapon would delay me firing regardless.

The last thing I did before leaving was to ensure we had radio connectivity. Once I heard a voice through my ear-piece, I couldn’t help grin. At least I wasn’t isolated completely any longer, though I could listen to one of the two radio stations if I wished. “Just keep me in the loop of any new arrivals, or if any news heads this way,” I suggested.

“With any luck, caravans might start heading this way soon,” Preston stated, “Might be worth making a trip all the way to Bunker Hill soon.”

“Bunker Hill? What’s there?”

“Trading post. It’s where all the caravans are organised that travel across the Commonwealth. If we rebuild the Minutemen to what they once were, we might even join forces with them. But that’s a long way in the distance yet.”

Max joined me as usual as we began the journey south. Remembering how I wold have once driven there, we did have to go through Concord then swing around onto the road heading south. There wasn’t much around otherwise until hitting Lexington, vaguely remembering a diner that Nora and I had stopped in once.

It was a long and boring walk, Max heading off to scout around, though he didn’t find anything worth investigating. It was the same sense of death and it was just quiet. Before the bombs, the very road I was walking along would have been busy with cars, trucks and buses, or just people walking on the sidewalks. It made me realise how noisy life had been. It took a few hours until I reached the outskirts of Lexington. Only then did I slow down and start to take stock of what I could see. On the other side of the collapsed freeway was the Corvega Assembly Plant. I’d hit that last, preferring to clear the town centre first. Turning left, I walked the outskirts and kept my eyes peeled, Max also being careful not to be caught in the open.

Reaching the Super-Duper Mart, I was tempted to head in there first. I figured this would be the best time to test the radio. “Sanctuary, this is Nate. Do you read me?”

There was a crackle for a few seconds before I sighed with relief as Sturges replied. _“Nate, this is Sanctuary. We have a copy. What’s your location?”_

“Super-Duper Mart in Lexington. So far, no raiders encountered though I can… sense their presence. There’s definitely a few around here. Corvega plant is ahead and lit up brightly, suggesting there is still power. Will sweep and clear Lexington today, leave Corvega for tomorrow. Might even draw a few raiders out if we make enough noise.”

_“Copy that, Nate. Preston already has an idea. Soon as you clear Lexington and Corvega, a small team will head there to start to scavenging the area. The plant will certainly provide much of what we might need. Super-Duper Mart might have good pickings. Watch for ghouls inside. They go looking for food.”_

“Copy that, Sanctuary. Will go radio silent until the area is clear. If I don’t return in three days, contact again. If no response, then something is amiss.”

_“Will do. Stay safe, Nate. Sanctuary out.”_

Getting down on a knee next to Max, I gave his head a gentle scratch. “What do you think, boy? Full of raiders?” He looked up at me and just panted. “Yeah, that’s what I think. Think you can sniff some out for me?” He growled, so I took that as a yes, he definitely could. Taking the shotgun from my back, I made sure it was fully loaded. “Okay, boy, let’s go find some raiders.”

I wasn’t stupid enough to just walk down the centre of the street, keeping to the side, under cover as much as possible. But walking along in power armour was always going to draw attention, and it’s not like I was being quiet. Each step caused plenty of noise. I hoped it would draw at least a few raiders out in curiosity.

It took all of ten minutes to find myself under fire from the ruins of what had once been a household on top, shop on the bottom. Two raiders, both armed with simple weaponry and below standard armour. Ducking out of the way, I immediately searched for an entrance, eventually finding a half-collapsed wall, piles of brick and masonry, quickly moving through an empty room.

“Fucker is below us!” I heard one of the raiders state.

“Let’s get him!” his friend stated.

“Idiots,” I muttered, Max wisely hanging back as I found steel stairs leading up the side of the building. One of the raiders appeared to be greeted by my shotgun. “Oh fuck,” where his last words before I fired, the shot right into his gut. He barely had time to clasp his hands over the wound before he collapsed to the ground. Stepping over his body, I climbed the rest of the steps, sweeping and noticing the other raider behind cover.

He threw a grenade at me, which bounced in front of my feet… so I kicked it back at him. It bounced twice and exploded as I turned away, hearing shrapnel hit my back as I heard him cry out. I moved forward quickly, noticing he was bleeding but not disabled. I put the barrel of the shotgun to the side of his head. “How many in Lexington?”

“Fuck you, arsehole. You’re going to die slowly.”

I pulled the trigger, turning away as blood splattered everywhere. I checked his body for anything useful, particularly ammo, doing the same with the body I’d left outside, before I moved on. I tracked a raider patrol, three of them, none of them armed or armoured well, shooting one in the back. The other two turned as I pulled back behind a corner. The idiots charged blindly, the first one rounding the corner, noticing their eyes widen as they were greeted by my shotgun, pulling the trigger without hesitation. The second raider turned and tried to get around the corner, lifting the shotgun and firing, sure I’d winged them. I rushed forward, though checked to see them limping away.

Striding after them, I kept the shotgun in my left hand, taking the pistol from my hip and putting a bullet in their other leg. They fell down onto their front, but spun and fired as I put my foot into their ribs. I was expecting that, of course, so kicked the gun away. I put my foot on their chest. “Where are the rest of you? I know some are in the Corvega plant. I’ll handle those later. Where else in Lexington are you?”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Someone with a fuck load more training than any of you clowns. So, I’ll ask again, how many? Where will I find more of you?”

“Go fuck yourself, arsehole.”

I pressed down enough that I heard the crack of a few ribs, his cries of pain ringing out immediately. “Answer my questions and I won’t cause you more pain. I’ve killed four of you so far. You don’t have to be number five. Just tell me what I want to know.”

I met his eyes and I enjoyed seeing the fear in them. He obviously didn’t want to die. “Okay, fine. Lexington apartments. It’s where we base ourselves outside of Corvega.”

“How many?”

“Three in the apartment building. Most of it’s in ruins.”

“And Corvega?”

I noticed the blood around his mouth. I’d probably caused quite a bit of damage inside. “More than you can take on, even in your fuckin’ power armour. You’re dead no matter what.”

“Maybe. We’ll see how things go.” I lifted the pistol and put a bullet into his forehead. He was probably lying about the numbers in the apartment building but at least I had somewhere to go.

From the outside, it appeared to be in remarkably good condition compared to most of Lexington, though once I’d slipped inside, Max still at my side, I whispered him to remain behind as I tried to be as quiet as possible. The first floor was a ruin but I heard voices above, finding the stairwell that would lead me upstairs. Remembering my time in Alaska, the Chinese had loved setting traps, so I made sure to check down and up, just in case the raiders showed half a brain between them

I found them around halfway up the building. Only three of them in total. In such tight confines, there was no plan except charge in, surprise them, and put them all on the ground as quickly as possible. Crashing through the door, I swept quickly, one in the living room, one in the kitchen. The one on the lounge was dead in two seconds, the blast of my shotgun going into his upper chest and neck, choking on his blood for the few seconds that remained of his life. The second raider was swinging his weapon as I spun, stepped to the side, and opened fire again. The blast took off at least half of his face as he collapsed to the ground. The third raider opened the bedroom door to be greeted by the barrel of my shotgun.

“What the…” The ‘fuck’ was covered by the blast of shotgun. I continued up but the rest of the building was empty, and no sign of anyone on the roof. Needing a place to crash for the evening, I headed back down to the ground, hauled the three bodies into the bathroom, placing them in the abandoned bath tub, closing the door and forgetting about them. The couch wasn’t clean but was somewhere I could at least lay down, and there was a radio. I barricaded the door by leaving my power armour in front of it, and the raiders were supplied, finding a bottle of Nuka-Cola. I hadn’t seen one of those in… well, years. There was also some water, a tin of Cram and a can of Pork n’ Beans. I devoured the food as I rather hungry, throwing Max a few sausages for him to eat too.

Checking the time on my Pip-Boy, it was late enough that it was dark outside, so I lay back on the lounge, Max on the ground next to me, and listened to the radio. Diamond City radio. The tunes they played were excellent. The host was… not good. Far too nervous for some reason. But it allowed me time to relax and eventually fall asleep.

I was woken by Max growling. I figured out why within a few seconds, hearing loud voices in the hall outside. “They didn’t come back for shift change,” one stated.

“They’re probably drunk and passed out,” a second added.

I crept over to my armour, opened and got in as quickly as possible, then as lightly as I could, took a few steps back, gesturing to Max to get out of the way. I waited for the door into the apartment to open, holding my shotgun level, centre mass for the average sized human. The door opened and I met the eyes of the raider. She couldn’t move before I pulled the trigger, the blast sending her flying back, over the railing, and down the stairs. Stupidly, the other raider charged in, armed only with a baseball bat. I didn’t need to block his swing, the bat clanging off my armour. I just sent my helmet into his face, his legs immediately turning to jelly as he fell to the ground.

I aimed the barrel at his head. “You from Corvega?” He attempted to kick between my legs, which was utterly pointless, before his head rolled back. Considering he’d just taken a helmet in the face, despite the blood, I was surprised he wasn’t unconscious. “I asked if you were from Corvega?”

“Yeah, I’m from fuckin’ Corvega. Fuck, my head hurts.”

“You have more important things to worry about. How many are at Corvega?”

“Fuck off.”

I pointed the barrel at his knee and fired. His cries rang around the empty room. I didn’t look at the damage. His days of walking were over though. In fact, he’d probably bleed out within a couple of minutes. “I asked how many of you are at Corvega. You have another knee, and I’ll just work my way up.”

He gave his head a shake and opened his eyes, looking at mine behind the helmet. He wouldn’t see them but figuring out where they were wasn’t difficult. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Some might call me the Sole Survivor. Some others might call me ‘Major’. Answer the fucking question.”

“Twelve to fifteen. I don’t know. I don’t count them all. I’m not in charge.”

“Who is? Their name?”

He didn’t answer so I put the barrel to his other knee. “Wait! Wait! Okay… okay… Me and her, the dead one, that would have been seventeen, so now it’s only fifteen. Five patrol outside, rest inside. Jared is in charge, reports to someone else. There’s a turret outside the main door.”

I couldn’t help chuckle. “The fuck? You have an organisation?”

“Course we fuckin’ do. We run Lexington on their behalf.”

“Not for much longer. Thanks for your assistance.”

I lifted the barrel as he shouted ‘No’. I pulled the trigger and looked away as his head exploded at taking a shotgun blast so close. Turning to see Max appear from the bedroom, I opened the door and gestured we should leave immediately, heading upstairs first to get a good look at the Corvega plant, though the highway…. I had a though immediately, taking a knee. “What I’m thinking is we get height, take out the guards, then head inside. Good idea, boy?” He looked at me, cocking his head. “Or just go in fast and loud?” He barked at that. “I think you want to get me killed sometimes.” That made him whimper, so I scratched his head. “Yeah, I think I’ll be alright too. Just stay safe while I’m at work, though if you want to bite a raider or two, I won’t complain.”

Heading downstairs and outside, I walked directly towards the factory though stopped and took the rifle from my back. Using such a rifle was awkward in power armour, as I couldn’t put the scope to my eye, so I chanced getting out for a minute, and from my position, I could see two raiders on walkways on top of the factory itself. While I could line one up, I’ll admit to not being completely confident in making the shot.

Back in power armour, I walked up the road towards the factory, remembering what I’d been told, so knew approaching the front door would be suicide. A machine gun turret would eventually tear through my armour, and I didn’t have anything on me that could destroy it. Plus, I didn’t want to. I wanted to take it back to Sanctuary, so I’d have to find a control terminal.

That meant circling the factory. I was noticed, of course, and a firefight quickly erupted. Yelling at Max to be careful, I simply charged towards the walkway on the right, noticing at least two raiders on different levels. One charged at me in return, weapon firing, a shotgun blast catching him in the side, and I jumped slightly, landing on his chest, my foot pretty much going straight through. I kept moving, up to the next level, where a raider was behind cover, leaning out to take a shot before moving back into cover.

“Finally, a raider with a modicum of sense,” I muttered, though I just moved into cover myself, remaining careful, and when I was close enough, I simply charged the small gap and fired, sending them backwards over the railing and falling to the ground below.

Being fired upon by those across the other side, I headed for the covered walkway, hearing footsteps and threats coming towards me. I crouched and waited, the first raider rounding the corner without hesitation, receiving a blast in the chest, causing the second raider to wait around the corner. Then I saw a grenade bounce off the wall across from me, so I ran around the corner, surprising the raider by slamming the butt of my shotgun into his face. He crashed to the ground as I pressed myself against the wall, the grenade exploding a second later. Looking down, the raider was barely coherent so a foot slammed into his head solved the problem.

“Fucking hell, this is exhausting,” I muttered, glancing to see Max slink around the corner. “You okay?” He barked once so I assume that was dog speak for ‘yes’.

Having killed four outside, there should have only been one last raider outside the building, and I found her up a walkway, almost performing as a lookout. She saw me coming and I certainly took fire, but once I’d closed on her, she tried firing at me point blank. The armour stopped the bullet but only just as I grabbed her and simply threw her over the side.

Back downstairs, I slid more shells into my shotgun, checking to see I didn’t have all that many left on me, but hopefully enough to see me through. Once I was done, I’d have to ransack all of Lexington. It seemed one thing the world wasn’t short of was ammunition. I’d also have to search for caps. I had no problem taking either from dead raiders.

Fast and loud again was the name of the game, hoping to catch many of them by surprise. And considering raiders seemed to have no problem running towards gunfire, and quite a few carried blunt or sharp weapons instead of guns, I was feeling confident but not arrogant. I was still only one man in armour, with a dog.

Going in a side door, I ran into a raider almost straight away. With his or her back to me, I looped an arm around their neck and squeezed, pleased to perform a relatively silent kill. Dropping their body to the ground quietly, I moved on, trying to remain quiet, but power armour on a metal walkway was always going to make noise. I noticed a turret, which thankfully didn’t notice me, and as soon I was down the stairs, I charged at the nearest raider, taking them by surprise, blasting away. Max next to me, searching for one to annoy. Stepping over the raider I’d shot, Max had drawn another raider towards me, turning the corner to be greeted by me.

“Oh fuck!” were the last words he cried out.

The noise attracted attention, which is just what I wanted, stepping away from the light into the shadows simply waiting for them to start searching. As soon as three were in sight, I charged forward, the first raider going down quickly. The other two opened fire again, but it was wild and barely on target.

“Who the fuck is this?”

“Power armour? Fuck!”

Dropping the shotgun for a moment, I took out my pistol and opened fire with that, going for shots to the body instead of the head. Centre mass. Two into the man to the right, two into the woman to the left. Both dropped quickly and didn’t move.

“You’re dead, fucker!” someone warned.

“Where’s Jared?” another one asked.

The raiders were now being careful, considering I’d dropped five of them. I snuck forward towards the nearby terminal, not even requiring a password, switching the turret off, keeping it in mind to take back to Sanctuary. The raiders didn’t move otherwise, at least for a while, so I pulled the same trick, back into the shadows.

Then I heard the clink, clink, clink of a grenade. Max moved quickly into another room, hearing the explosion behind us. “Move!” I heard a voice cry, so I guess they were not particularly patient. I watched another three come charging forward, absolutely no tactics whatsoever, relying on overwhelming force and intimidation. One carried a machete, two pipe weapons, both rifles.

Stepping out of the doorway, the machete wielding raider slowed a moment, eyes widening as he noticed the shotgun in my hand. Before he could utter a word, I pulled the trigger. As he went down, I swung it slightly towards the woman behind him to his right. She got off a shot, hearing it smack into my armour as I fired again. The man to her left fired three shot, two actually missing me, which amused me later, the third hitting me straight in the torso. That caused a moment of circumspection. Without armour, I’d have been a dead man. He noticed where it hit, and for the last seconds of his life, I think I saw disappointment in his eyes as I fired a third time.

I looked down at Max. “Okay, boy. Go search. Drag them this way.”

Max did well, dragging two more raiders in my direction. With only a few shells left, I switched to the rifle, managing to take the scope off for the time being, and while my shooting wasn’t great, I did manage to catch one raider by surprise. The second raider only had a pistol so I simply charged, using my rifle as a club before putting a bullet into his head.

It was time to search as that wasn’t everyone. The walkways were clear as were most of the offices. I found a raider in what had once been a kitchen, pistol to his temple and a bullet in the brain before he could move. And that was all I could find, wandering around a little lost before I found a stairway that led into the long abandoned assembly plant itself. There were at least three turrets to take care of and the remaining raiders. And I had a feeling they’d heard everything, as they were on high alert.

I’d picked up a couple of grenades, so staying out of the spotlights, I managed to get into cover and threw them both. The first one exploded next to a raider, hearing their cries of pain and death, the other landing in behind the other two, maybe hitting them with some shrapnel but they opened fire immediately, as did the turrets. “Max, distraction.”

He was a good boy, and far too fast for the turrets to get a lock on. But as he ran about, seeming to enjoy himself, I kept the shadows and bounded up the metal walkway, leaping over a gap and firing at the nearest raider. She went down, leaving me to face down the last one.

“You dumb motherfucker!” he cried, swinging around with a shotgun. That brought me a halt, diving to the side as he opened fire. I could possibly have taken the shot but I’d rather not. He fired twice more, hitting one hit me as I got my shotgun up and aimed. Opening fire, I actually hit the shotgun itself, while I peppered his hands and arms at the same time. He dropped the weapon and cried out as I scrambled to my feet, rushing towards and knocking him onto his back, barrel at his head. Breathing heavily, he was definitely in agony.

“You Jared?”

“You’re going to pay for this, fucker. Once they learn who you are, they’re going to hunt you down.”

“I wish them good luck. Are you Jared?”

He spat next to me. “Yes, I’m Jared, arsehole. What the fuck do you want?”

“Nothing, actually. But I guess you could say I’m cleansing the Commonwealth, slowly but surely. I’m a soldier once again and I have my mission.”

He groaned. “Seriously, we’ve been taken out by one fucking Minuteman?”

“No. Major Nathan Shepard, United States Army. 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment. Sino-American War Veteran. Battle of Anchorage Victory Medal. Recipient of the Purple Heart. Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry in battle.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? What fucking army?”

I put the barrel into his mouth. “I’ve seen war, Jared. What I’ve just done now? The fact I’ve managed to do it with just a dog as a companion speaks volumes of the enemy. People like you have no doubt thrived without law and order, without someone willing to stand up and fight back. Well, let’s just say your days of lording it over the frightened people of the Commonwealth will soon be at an end. I will rally people to the cause and the flag, and people like you will soon be pushed back and annihilated, just like we did to the Chinese in Alaska. The United States of America might no longer exist, but there is no reason why we can’t renew the ideals.”

I took a moment to breathe. I met his eyes and could see the confusion but also the fear. No doubt he had no idea what I was actually talking about. Without any government, I didn’t think there’d be much schooling. I figured literacy rates had plummeted. I doubt history books existed any longer, at least nothing that would explained what happened on October 23rd, 2077 and in the years immediately afterwards.

“Do you believe, Jared?” I asked, taking the barrel from his mouth.

“Believe? Believe in what?”

“God. Do you believe in god? Heaven and hell? You see, I think this has been hell on earth for a lot of people since the day the bombs dropped. Me? I’m no longer a believer, not after the things I saw and did in Alaska, and the fact they pinned medals on my chest for it. Not after the fact that the bombs were dropped. And if there is a god, He turned His back on us and I don’t blame Him. We turned paradise into the shithole you see outside.” I sighed as I put the barrel back into his mouth. “I guess without law and order, no police force, no judiciary system, people like me will be judge and jury, and maybe sometimes, executioner. Call yourself a raider?” He nodded. “Then you shall be executed for your crimes. And the worst news for all of you? The woman who calmed me is no longer here.”

I pulled the trigger.

Disabling the turrets, I looked around and noticed all the food and water, medical supplies, and also an enormous trunk that proved to be a real treasure trove of goodies. Sitting on the lone bed, I opened up the radio link, hoping it would work inside. “Sanctuary, this is Nate. Do you read me?”

It took a few seconds again before I heard Sturges. _“Nate, this is Sanctuary. We read you. How are things? Are you okay?”_

“I’m fine. Exhausted. Lexington is clear of raiders. Corvega Assembly Plant is now clear of raiders too.”

I had to wait a few seconds before there was a reply. “ _Nate, it’s Preston. Is the road to Lexington clear?”_

“If you take the road that will lead into the west of Lexington, passing the diner, then you will be fine. That is clear.”

_“Hold there, Nate. We had more settlers arrive today. I’m going to bring a team to you tomorrow. Abernathy Farm have already been in contact and their willing to loan their brahmin so we can haul a wagon for any salvage we can find.”_

“There’s plenty here, Preston. And I haven’t even been to the supermarket yet. I noticed a power armour stand in an abandoned shop. I wouldn’t mind loading that up.”

_“Wait until we arrive before doing anything else, Major. You do sound exhausted.”_

“Oh, the adrenaline is flowing but I’m sure it’ll pass eventually. I’ll bunker down in the assembly plant until you get here. Just… be mindful there are a lot of bodies. I’ve lost count how many I killed.”

_“Copy that, Major. Get some rest and we’ll get there as soon as possible tomorrow.”_

“I’ll take position on the roof in preparation for your arrival. Nate out.”

What I needed was a drink, and it was no surprise there was plenty of alcohol available. Desperate for a smoke as well, I sat back on the bed and, by the time I went to sleep, I’d smoked half the packet and drunk most of the bottle of bourbon. I was rather drunk by the time I passed out, glad I’d put out my last cigarette.

Max woke me by licking my face the next morning, which didn’t really help the hangover at all, not helped that I’d barely eaten the previous day. I found a tin of ham which, after doing the sniff test, surprised it was okay, I scoffed down quickly, before finding a tato that I just munched one like I would have one done with an apple.

Preston and four others arrived by midday and we got to work, three heading into Lexington to scavenge for supplies, Preston, the other settler and myself scavenging Corvega. By the time we were done, we had two full carts, so the four settlers, all of them now armed with better weapons, would head back immediately with the brahmin and one cart, while I would pull the other one in my power armour.

Before leaving, Preston and I hit he supermarket. It was full of ghouls. And Preston got to witness the advantages of power armour. Plus, not to sound too arrogant, I was a bloody good soldier. Only once did I ever have slight concern, when around half a dozen ghouls surrounded me. I learned quickly that a fist in power armour caused significant damage to a ghoul, watching one of their heads simply cave in, while Max dragged away another by the ankle, biting so hard he ripped the foot off. Preston shot a couple with his musket to help me.

We found an F.C, even more food, water, Nuka-Cola, and plenty more salvage. The place was a complete ruin otherwise, abandoned for two centuries. Walking outside and piling up the cart, I could only ask, “Is everywhere like this?”

“The centre of Boston is worse, Nate. Plenty of building still stand but most look on the verge of collapse and its mostly overrun by raiders, Gunners and super mutants.”

“Super what?” I sighed, waving away whatever he was going to explain. “You know what, I don’t care right now.”

“You okay?” he asked, concern in his tone.

“It’s been a long couple of days. I’d retired from service before the war. Amazing how it all comes back straight away.”

He paused and I could see him thinking about the next question. I had a feeling I knew what it was. “Does it ever get to you, the killing?”

“It was one of the reasons why I chose to retire. I won’t go into detail, but the war that took place before the bombs dropped… I saw what the raiders have done to people, the cages inside the factory, the dead bodies, decapitated heads, information about other operations around the Commonwealth. Trust me, that detail is already in my Pip-Boy. I can only assume there is a lack of humanity. What I saw in Alaska could, in many ways, be considered worse. We were meant to be civilised, a beacon of humanity, our progress and our brilliance. We were anything but.” I paused before meeting his eyes. “But I was always good at it, Preston. The killing. I never hesitated. I received an order, I carried it out to the best of my ability and those under my command.”

Stepping into my armour, I looped some rope around me and began the long walk back to Sanctuary.


	5. The Young and the Restless

After the events of Lexington, I must have spent a week in Sanctuary, not feeling any real need to recover, but I was fairly sure there would eventually be a response to what happened there. The Raiders didn’t come across as particularly intelligent nor organised, but what I did assume was that they would have no problem with a reprisal against whoever was responsible. And considering power armour probably wasn’t all that prevalent around the Commonwealth, I had to make sure I didn’t lead them back to us.

We now had over twenty settlers at Sanctuary. So many were relieved that they now had somewhere safe, all of them willing to pitch in somehow. Bringing the turrets back from Lexington, we now had two sitting by the bridge, while we’d constructed a barrier, where a Minuteman would remain on guard at all times, armed with the best weapon possible. On both banks of the river I placed mines that I’d found. One thing Raiders were was tooled up. Far more weapons and ammo than I expected. I had thought it would be scarce but I guess weapons depots and stores had been ransacked quickly.

We sent three Minutemen to Abernathy Farm and three to Tenpines Bluff on patrol, and formed two other teams. We organised it so there would always be three Minutemen at each farm every night. Once we found more turrets, we’d organise better defences for each. Our farm was already coming on strong, with tato vines already appearing, while we’d planted mutfruit, corn, carrot and melons too. Now that I had a rifle, I was out hunting with Preston and we managed to snag two radstags, dragging them back to the settlement, where we got busy stripping them for meat and leather.

That night, for the first time since waking up, I enjoyed some succulent meat, while we salted a whole lot more, cleaning out a couple of barrels and I wanted to make sure we had plenty of supplies, just in case.

Despite the harsh conditions of life, during the evening, we managed to relax. After a hard day of work, whether we were repairing a house, tilling the fields, or on patrol, all I wanted was a meal, a few cigarettes and a drink. We usually kept a fire burning all day, so we gather around it during the early evening, and though there wasn’t much laughter, we could at least relax.

I already had a good reputation with most of the settlers. What I’d done in Lexington spread like wildfire. One woman showed plenty of interest very quickly. Her name was Jennifer. She was cute but also a lot younger than me. When I was put in the fridge, I was thirty-four. I was still thirty-four, as the intervening two hundred and ten years didn’t count, while she was only twenty-one. She knew I was a widow. She was effectively an orphan. She was also aware of the age gap, but didn’t seem to care.

We ended up sat by the river, sharing a bottle of vodka, and she was interested about life before the bombs. I mentioned my wife, but when I looked at her, I tried not to think about Nora. It felt like a long time since I’d enjoyed the touch and intimacy of a woman. I knew I was probably still mourning, but as she shuffled closer, and the body language suggested clear interest, I knew I’d give into temptation.

She was brunette, keeping her hair just over her shoulders, a pair of brown eyes, slight freckling over her nose. In the moonlight, she did look good, and when we gave in and finally kissed, I think she was relieved I hadn’t pushed her away. We barely moved from the bank, ending up the ground, eagerly removing the clothes of the other. She wore a simple jacket, shirt, and trousers, removing those eagerly to reveal a rather tanned body, while she definitely liked mine, her hands running up my arms and down my back.

I was careful removing her underwear, figuring she didn’t have too many pairs, and seeing my first naked woman in what felt like months had me harder than steel. I was surprised that her hair was trimmed. I was expecting… a lot more. I knew razors were around, as Preston and Sturges were always clean shaven. I removed my underwear and she ginned at the same time. “Wow,” she whispered.

“What?”

"It’s… um… is it big?”

I looked down and shrugged. “Well, I think it was slightly above average. I’m not sure, to be honest. Never actually measured it.”

What surprised her was when we resumed kissing before I moved down her body, and when I showed an interest in eating her out, that caused her to cry out, more through shock than anything. “What?” I asked.

“What are you doing?”

That made me sit up immediately. “Um… eating you out. A lot of women love it.”

“They do?”

“You’ve had sex, right?”

“Well, yes, but… the guys I’ve been with just stuck it in, pumped a few times and finished.”

I couldn’t help chuckle before leaning down and giving her a soft kiss. “Jennifer, you are going to be in for one hell of a good time tonight.”

I think I got even harder as I started to tease her, running my tongue up and down her slit, making her cry out before I plunged my tongue. She was wet and hot, and I loved her taste. Pushing her legs back, spreading her nice and wide, she could barely put two words together as I was using everything I’d learned, remembering one or two tricks I’d used on Nora, and they worked a charm on Jennifer. I think she enjoyed her first orgasm that evening, as she was surprised by it to begin with, and when she cried out, I’m sure everyone heard us, but no-one came to investigate.

She asked me to stop once she’d relaxed, so I softly kissed up her body before our eyes met again. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed quietly.

“I’m guessing sex is a little different nowadays. Keep it simple, I suppose.”

“I’m also… younger… and I guess inexperienced…”

“Take your time then we can continue.” I got up and grabbed the vodka from the nearby stone wall, taking a sip before giving it to her, lying back on the ground next to her. “Been a long time since I had sex in the open.”

That made her giggle. “Was that with…”

“My wife? Yes. We were at the lake. I did to her what I just did to you, then we had a swim before making love on the shore. Of course, a lot more people around then, but the thrill of possibly being caught made it a lot more fun.”

When I slid inside her a couple of minutes later, I knew I wasn’t going to last long at all. It had been quite a while since I’d last had sex, and the feeling of her tight, wet pussy was almost too much straight away. She moaned loudly as I buried myself, her facing lighting up in the moonlight, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss.

As inexperienced as she was, I took my time though I knew I was going to finish quickly. When I suggested she put her heels on my lower back, I felt even deeper inside her, which made her moan very loudly, but she loved it. “Holy shit,” she whispered.

“Okay?”

The kiss she gave me suggested she was absolutely fine. I only lasted a couple more minutes before I needed to cum, burying myself as I did, her fingers digging into my back as I groaned loudly before feeling it necessary to just relax and rest above her. “I thought you needed that,” she whispered.

“Have I been set up?”

“Oh no, I’m just the one who made the first move.” I met her eyes as she grinned. “Let’s just say, whenever you want some company, Nate, I won’t say no. And I think you might have the same offer from a couple of others.”

I couldn’t help chuckle. “Seriously?”

“You have admirers already.”

I pulled out and rested on my back, taking in the stars that now shone ever so brightly. Before the war, because of all the light, you’d barely seen more than a few. Now the sky was brighter than I’d ever seen it. The only time it came close was Alaska. I’d brought down some Rad-x and soap, so we took a dose each and headed down to the river. It wasn’t deep at all, but we could sit down in the water and give ourselves a good clean. We’d found plenty of soap in Lexington so was hopeful we’d find plenty more as we scavenged further away from Sanctuary.

After dressing, we headed back towards everyone else, noticing the glances in our direction, so no doubt they heard us, and definitely her. She hadn’t been quiet. “Enjoy yourselves?” Mama Murphy asked, a twinkle in her eyes. I was sure she’d pushed Jennifer towards me, remembering our conversation and the fact I’d admitted to feeling a little lonely.

“He made me orgasm!” Jennifer exclaimed, before she covered her mouth and blushed.

“Well, I’m glad he did.”

I generally slept outdoors on a bedroll by the fire and Jennifer was quite happy to join me that night. It was nice to have company once again, at least company that wasn’t a dog. I loved Max already, but… he did smell a bit. Jennifer certainly enjoyed having me next to her, curling her body against mine and falling asleep rather quickly.

We now had an adequate supply of food but Preston and I agreed that it definitely needed to be rationed until we had regular food coming in from nearby farms. We would send seeds off to both Abernathy and Tenpines, expanding their crop sizes as I had a feeling our settlement could grow to quite a significant number considering the numbers that already arrived. Preston and I agreed we would eventually have to switch off the beacon if numbers grew too fast.

A couple of days later, we were in our usual discussion point in the middle of the street, watching as everyone carried out tasks they thought they should. Everyone pitched in. “So is the plan to still eventually control north of the river?” he asked.

“As much as possible. All the way to the bridges that cross it, controlling who comes and goes. But we have nowhere near the numbers yet, so we’ll be sensible. We now have two farms under our control. It would be a good idea to have a couple more. Both farms mostly grow tato. If we can find another couple of farms, hopefully they’ll grow something else.”

“Tato is quick and easy to grow, Nate. That’s why it’s popular. But I see what you mean. I definitely want some corn and mutfruit. We have a few planted already.”

“We’ll definitely want a lot more. I’m talking rows and rows of trees and stalks. And we need good fertiliser. Abernathy are sending us a little bit but it’s nowhere near enough.”

“There are farms across the Commonwealth but it’s convincing them to help us. And what they’ll want above all is our protection.”

I sighed. “We just don’t have the numbers for that. I’ll need to find relay towers to expand our signal. The only problem is that the further we expand it, the more people who hear it, including the enemy.”

“There’s only one way in and out though. I doubt they’ll get past the mines.”

He had a good point there. The mines were well hidden, and it was extensive on the opposing side.

We had a couple of turrets for Sanctuary, and I was planning on sending one each to Abernathy and Tenpines. That would still leave us two spare as we’d found six turrets in and around Lexington in the end. Sturges was confident he could even make some basic turrets given all the salvage we’d managed to find, but fixing houses was more important at the moment.

“There is another farm you could check out, Nate. From what I’ve been told by a couple of settlers, whoever was once there was forced out by ghouls. It might be worth clearing out and establishing another settlement.”

“Where?”

“South-west of here, basically south of Abernathy Farm. Called Sunshine Tidings Co-Op.” I almost burst into laughter. “What?”

“I know about that! It was reported on in a newspaper article I read before the war. It was a communal settlement. People living off the land, giving up most technology. It was part of some movement the government didn’t particularly like. You think it’s a worthwhile venture?”

“If it provides more food for settlers…”

“Long as it’s defensible though. Sanctuary works because of the river. Abernathy has clear sight lines in most directions. Tenpines is fairly isolated.” I paused. “But you are right, we need more land and food. I’ll head there tomorrow.”

I had a vague recollection of where it was. Heading south as usual towards Concord, instead of taking the road south towards Lexington, I followed the road south-west, eventually skirting the shores of a lake I didn’t know the name of. The problem with a lot of the water is that it looked refreshing, crystal clear at times, yet I knew it was probably radiated as hell. I’d been told by more than one settler that certain places were full of barrels that carried the symbol of being radioactive. I’d read reports about companies dumping radioactive material. Add that to the radiation that would have been dumped on the ground after a few atom bombs and little wonder mutations had happened. I did wonder how humanity had adapted, what mutations might have taken place. I mean, you could consider ghouls mutations to a point…

Walking up and over a crest, the settlement came into view. Max immediately growled so that suggested there was something around. I took a knee and counted the building. There was a long warehouse and another building that could be used, in addition to at least six cabins, four of them seeming to be in decent enough condition. The other two would have to be pulled down and scrapped.

The place was full of ghouls, our arrival waking many of them up, while others appeared from the cabins and buildings around us. Max and I made short work of them, just making sure we didn’t get swarmed. Whenever there were around four or five, I’d just use the butt of the shotgun, watching it cave a head in. If they were close enough when I fired my shotgun, their bodies practically disintegrated.

After clearing it out of ghouls, I dragged all the bodies close together, figuring I should just burn them later. Checking each cabin, I was surprised to find a couple more ghouls and a couple of radroaches as well. I enjoyed just stomping those bastards with the boot of my power armour. I still shudder at the thought of enormous cockroaches.

As I worked, there was a robot, similar to Codsworth, that hovered around. Completely harmless, it was actually rather amusing. Whenever it came close, I tried talking to it, but it didn’t seem to be programmed for conversation. When I asked its name, it did reply with ‘Professor Goodfeels’. Other than that, it would simply say things like ‘Groovy’ and ‘Far out!’ No idea what it was going on about, but as it was harmless, I left it alone.

Getting out of my power armour, I found a deck chair and took a seat, Max immediately curling at my feet as I took the radio out and got in contact. “Sanctuary, this is Nate calling. Do you read?”

 _“This is Sanctuary, Nate. You have a copy. What’s the situation?”_ Sturges asked.

“Sunshine Tidings is clear of ghouls. Plenty of buildings here to make use of. Land is dry and needs water to start crops but it looks arable enough. I’m not a farmer, so that’s just a best guess. It will be defensible enough. Hill to the west might be a concern, otherwise it provides a good lookout to the north, south and east.”

_“Good to hear, Nate. Are there any supplies there?”_

“No, it’s rather empty, to be honest. There is an elevated highway nearby and I can see movement upon it. Our arrival here might eventually draw their attention, so if we do start a settlement here, we need to make sure it’s defended properly. There’s also a church nearby that I’m going to check out. If anywhere was going to provide assistance during a crisis, it would be a church. After that, I’ll head back. If it’s getting too dark, I’ll head directly north to Abernathy Farm and stay there the night before returning tomorrow. I’ll keep you informed.”

_“Stay safe, Nate. Sanctuary out.”_

I relaxed with a bottle of water for at least half an hour before getting back into power armour and heading towards the church. The overpass ahead was a concern, and I thought walking about in power armour would draw attention, but no-one shot in my direction, so I could assume they didn’t see me.

The church roof had collapsed though the steeple was still standing. What I found inside was a surprise. The doors leading in had collapsed, but the rows of sandbags was something I hadn’t expected, in addition to plenty of skeletons, including some that seemed to be dressed in the remnants of an army uniform, with two also wearing a helmet. Other skeletons were no doubt civilian. I searched around and didn’t find anything except a trapdoor.

“The hell is that doing here?” I wondered to myself. I opened it up and peered down. There was a ladder and faint light, but I couldn’t hear anything otherwise. No way I’d fit down there in my power armour, but I wasn’t willing to just go exploring with it. Not just yet. Id travel with power armour alone. Without it, I’d want back-up. “What do you think, boy? It is a shelter? A bunker? Or… something else?” He just looked at me and stuck his tongue out, panting as usual. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

It was worth remembering, at least. It would either be empty, full of dead bodies and skeletons, full of Raiders or someone else, or it could be the score of a century, full of supplies we could use at Sanctuary and help other settlements with. But, for now, I just logged it in my Pip-Boy for later. There were a couple of ammo boxes, though no sign of any weapons. I grabbed the ammo, mostly .38 caliber but also a box of shotgun shells which would definitely come in handy.

Standing in the doorway of the church, I did gaze at the overpass and was fairly sure there was movement upon it. Whether they were Raiders or someone else, I couldn’t be sure. I figured some people would have even tried keeping themselves safe on such structures, though after two centuries, it wasn’t a surprise to see a lot of it had collapsed. I kept them in mind, though as they would be a convenient way of travelling around Boston.

Heading back north, it was growing dark by the time I reached the outskirts of Concord, but I just kept on walking, confident the road was now safe between there and Sanctuary. The worst I’d face would be a few radroaches or maybe a few mole rats. I’d only ever a couple of them, and like everything else nowadays, they were stupidly aggressive. No idea why.

One of the guards noticed my approach over the bridge and thankfully they recognised me as I had the spotlight on, so it wasn’t like I was trying to sneak up on them. A group was sat around the large campfire we now had burning. We’d grabbed a power armour station from Lexington so, after getting out of it, ejecting the core as always to conserve it, I joined the group by the fire. I was offered one of the deck chairs, which I appreciated, groaning as I sat down.

“Long day?” Preston asked.

“I have no reason to complain as everyone is working hard. One thing I can say, hand on heart, is fuck ghouls, at least the feral ghouls. Mindless fuckin’ zombies. Attack for no reason. And the fuckers are fast. I thought zombies were meant to shuffle along and be easy pickings?”

“That’s what chased away from Lexington, the ghouls, not the Raiders. If you get swarmed by them without adequate protection, you’re done for.”

“When should we send people out there?”

“Give it time. It’s clear for the time being. That’s enough for now. My concern is what might be a group of Raiders on an overpass to the south. If we send settlers to Sunshine, we’ll need to do it carefully. I might have to head south, clear whoever is there out, before we do it. I also found something else. That church I checked out had a trapdoor leading somewhere. I just don’t know where.”

“But you sound curious?”

“I am, because the army had set defences within the church, and I’m guessing it was for the trapdoor. I just don’t know why.” I paused before adding, “I have had a thought though. We’ve got a highway to the south and a highway to the east. We’re basically boxed in on two sides. To the north and west is nothing but wasteland, so we can ignore that for now. I see no reason why we can’t slowly but surely expand our influence in both directions.”

“Scouts?”

“Scouts and scavengers. Small teams, well-armed and hopefully with some armour now. Sturges, how is that coming along?”

“The armour we stripped from the Raiders has come in handy. I’m training a couple of people to head out. Armoury isn’t my forte but I’m moulding leather to metal. Nothing like your power armour but hopefully it will keep them somewhat safe.”

“Good. If we can outfit guards and Minutemen with that, they’ll have a modicum of protection. If they can find any power armour, they are to log it immediately and I’ll head out and grab it myself. You can’t just jump in and use it. Takes training, but if we can get more suits, then we will certainly be in a stronger position.”

“Should we start our own settlements from scratch?” Preston wondered.

“It’s an idea for the future. At the moment, we should get in contact with farms and settlements already established. And the further our signal spreads, hopefully we might get in touch with any Minutemen…”

“Would you accept them?”

“Surely there were small units working not in Quincy?” He chewed on that then eventually nodded. “No doubt once they heard about Quincy, they simply put down their weapons. Can’t blame them if the leadership was killed and others turned traitor. Times like that, you will concern yourself with your own survival. So if we can prove the Minutemen are rebuilding, they might return to the fold.”

“I hope you’re right. It would be nice having a few trained companions and, that way, we can expand operations.”

“One step at a time, but the end goal is to spread influence as far as possible. Push the Raiders back, but the more we push back, the higher chance of reprisals. This is fairly well defended now, so the risks to other settlements will be a problem. Abernathy and Tenpines found safety in isolation. By allying with us, they have made themselves a target.”

I was one of the last to head to bed that evening, sitting by the fire with a bottle of whiskey, going over in my mind what we could do next. I almost laughed to myself at the position I’d found myself in. No idea how I’d come to be the unofficial leader of all this, but people seemed to listen to what I had to say and followed it. I wasn’t giving orders, generally just giving my opinion on certain matters. Mama Murphy had explained why Preston seemed to be happy enough but… I don’t know, I guess I gave them hope by taking the fight to the rest?

Eventually being joined by Jennifer again didn’t surprise me all that much. As soon as she sat sideways on my lap, the last couple of settlers wished us goodnight, heading off to one of the houses we’d fixed up. I’d fixed up my old home but I wasn’t going to sleep in it. I looked at it and simply remembered everything before the bombs. I had thought about tearing it down, but now it served as a home for the survivors. It least something good came out of it.

Jennifer was… eager, at least, wasting little time kissing me, and she giggled when I rose to the occasion. She must have washed as I did smell soap, at least, kissing down her neck as I undid her shirt, smiling to myself as she hadn’t worn a bra. When my mouth found a nipple that hardened quickly, she gasped when I ran my tongue over it before I began to tease it. That made her giggle again. I could only lean back. “Did he seriously just stick his cock inside you?”

She looked away but nodded, so I used a finger to make her look back at me. “Well, I think we can rectify that.”

We ended up naked on my bedroll as I showered her body with attention. There were signs life had been hard, a few scars here and there. I could have asked, but I had a feeling there were stories every settler had they didn’t want to share. Still, as I kissed down her body, feeling it react to every kiss or caress, by the time I reached her pussy, she was soaking wet and eager for my mouth.

The groan she released as I started to lick her slit was almost guttural. It was enough to make me chuckle as I looked up, noticing her blush rather brightly. “It feels… really fucking good, Nate,” she whispered.

“Well, you taste fucking good too, Jennifer.”

She looked away, I guess a little embarrassed, so I resumed teasing her with my tongue before I got down to business. She loved every second, or at least that’s what I figured, with the noises she made, and the way her body reacted. And she definitely experienced another orgasm, her back arching as she cried out loudly, a hand wrapped around each thigh to hold her in place. “Oh god,” she cried out. Well, nice to see some things haven’t changed in two hundred years. The big guy still gets some praise when a woman is being pleasured.

This time, I kept going through her first orgasm, and when the second one ripped through her body, I think she almost passed out from the sheer bliss she enjoyed. So I figured I should stop, soft kisses up her body before I rested on my forearms, just taking in her youthful face. Despite the hard life, there was a softness that remained. Few more years and it would probably disappear.

She met my eyes as I sensed her shuffle, feeling my cock at her entrance, pushing forward gently to slide inside her. “Yes,” she hissed.

Legs around me immediately, I fucked her. That’s what it was that night, hands immediately on my back, our mouths rarely parting, as I enjoyed the sensation of her tightness, groaning more than once as we made out. I had to break it and grunt, “God.”

“Good?” she asked quietly.

“Best pussy I’ve had in centuries.”

That made her giggle as I started to pump her harder and faster. She surprised me by unhooking her legs and spreading them nice and wide, feeling me even deeper. She moaned loudly at that and I could feel my orgasm approaching quickly.

“Close,” I warned her.

“I loved the feeling last time,” she said softly.

So I came inside her again and felt the need to relax on a forearm, one of her hands trailing up and down my back, tracing one or two scars, remnants of my war in Alaska. I’d earned quite a few of them during my time up north. We continued to make out, surprised I was hard again rather quickly. Grabbing her, I made her squeal as I rolled onto my back, the smile on her face forming quickly and I think she immediately enjoyed the new position.

I had to give her a little instruction, but once she was confident, I enjoyed her ride my cock by the light of the fire. She had a wonderful little body on her, great pair of breasts, and a body formed by years of working. I’d asked about her life, and while some things she obviously avoided, she’d had little formal education. She could read to some sort of level, though admitted she couldn’t really write. That saddened me, to know so many probably couldn’t do basic things like read and write.

But I put all that out of my mind while we were being intimate. She eventually leaned forward, changing the angle, and when she enjoyed an orgasm with my cock inside her, that made her shed a tear or two as it was something she’d definitely never experienced before. Feeling the need to cum again, she hung on as I started to thrust up into her, surprised when she asked me to go faster. I kissed her hard and did as she asked, making her cry out more than once before I groaned loudly, a second and final orgasm of the night for me as well.

Resting on my chest, I trailed my hand down her back, feeling scars of her own. Quite a few. “It’s why I’m an orphan,” she whispered, “Long story.”

“Tell me in your own time if you’re comfortable. There’s no rush.”

“Let’s just say I’m glad you’re killing lots of Raiders. Fucking bastards.”

No other questions were needed. It was eager to figure out. It was a weapon of war and a weapon of fear. All I did was wrap an arm around her a little tighter. I liked the girl but it wasn’t going to last. I’d lost my wife and had no desire at settling down. I didn’t think life would allow it going forward. I had a feeling she already knew that, she liked me in return, so we’d enjoy each other while we could.

Eventually climbing into the sleeping bag together, she moulded her body against mine again, holding my hands tight to her body. “Do you miss her?” she asked quietly.

“I do. But experiencing this life? I’m almost glad she didn’t wake up. She’s now at peace and safe, wherever she is.”

“What do you mean?”

I should have known she wouldn’t know about religion. I had a feeling it barely if existed at all now. “She believed in god, and believed when she died, her soul would go to heaven. It gives me comfort to know she’s there now. Probably watching me bed a woman more than ten years my junior, either impressed or shaking her head in dismay. I like to think it’s the former. ‘My husband still has it.’”

“Do you believe in this god?”

“Not anymore. Not after all the things I’ve seen and done. If He does exist, or if He did, then His presence is no longer here. And I wouldn’t blame Him for it. We were given paradise and destroyed it.” I paused and whispered, “Though you can still cry out His name while we have sex if you want.”

That made her giggle, at least. “I won’t like it when you go.”

“Who says I’m leaving?”

“Mama Murphy. She thinks you’ll make a base here then leave. She says your destiny lies to the south. That you will become important in a war still to come.”

“I thought I’d had enough fighting. I guess I was wrong. But, this time, I fight for what I believe in. The enemy is clear this time.”

“If you go, would you mind… if I found…”

“Jennifer, we’re just having fun, right?” She nodded. “I’m certainly not going to be jealous. And I’m obviously not going to be settling down anytime soon. If you find yourself a nice young man you like, then do what your heart and head tells you.”

She turned around and cuddled into me, her head resting on my chest as I stroked her back. “Well, I’ll just get as much of you as possible before you do leave for longer.”

“I will have to eventually. Got to check out this Diamond City. And I have to find the organisation responsible for freezing me and killing my wife. But I found myself wrapped up in all this that I almost felt it necessary to put everything on hold and help. It was the right thing to do.”

“Well, count me as someone glad you did.” She glanced up with such a look on her face, it was little wonder we ended up making love again, Jennifer on her back, legs spread just enough that I could slide between them, cock buried inside her. It was certainly tenderer than before, her eyes looking into mine, feeling her fingers dig into my back as I gently buried myself with each thrust. “How does it feel so good?” she whispered.

“It should. That’s what makes sex great.”

Having cum twice, I lasted a long time, but she didn’t want to move at all, enjoying running her hands up and down my arms and back, even my chest, smiling away as she mentioned I was more defined than anyone she’d seen. I thought I’d actually lost a bit of weight since waking up, but considering all the hard work, I think I might have even added more muscle.

When I came a third time, I left my cock inside her as I licked my thumb and gently started to fondle her clit. The reaction was what I hoped for, and she seemed to be holding it back, her eyes staring intensely into mine. “Yes!” she hissed, “Keep going…”

“Good?”

“I’m going to cum really hard, Nate. I can feel it.”

“Love my cock inside you?”

“Oh, that’s what makes this even better.” Then she moaned, feeling her squeeze my cock. “I’m so close…” I fondled her faster and that did the trick, watching her body shudder as the orgasm hit her hard, crying out loudly. I’m fairly sure it was loud enough to wake a few people, both of us chuckling once she’d recovered.

That did us both in and we fell asleep quickly.

We were not the first awake the next morning, opening my eyes to see Mama Murphy by the embers of the fire, glancing my way with a twinkling in her eye. Jennifer wasn’t awake yet, so I remained where I was, a couple of other settlers wandering over. All they did was glance, grin, then look away. I guess sleeping outdoors meant little privacy. Such things didn’t really exist anymore regardless. When she woke up, there wasn’t a hint of embarrassment, simply turning around to cuddle and kiss me. “Maybe we should fuck in front of them?” she whispered.

“Exhibitionist,” I whispered back, “Last night wasn’t enough?”

“I just love the feeling when you cum in me, Nate.” She paused then added, “Well, I love your tongue between my legs as well. That _definitely_ makes me feel… funny.” Resting her head against my chest again, I had a feeling we wouldn’t be rising for at least a few minutes, but when most of the settlers were up, we had to join them. No rest for the wicked, as they say.

She had no problem getting up and wandering around naked, and I couldn’t help smile at her carefree attitude. I noticed she received a couple of other appreciative glances as she put on her underwear, then the rest of her clothing. We’d managed to salvage some clothing from Lexington, and agreed it would be a communal set up. People could take what they wanted, wear it, wash it, then put it back.

I at least slid on some underwear before getting up, and there was definitely a few looks. When I looked down, I could understand why, as I didn’t have much fat on me at all. Just lean muscle, a reminder of my army days. Throwing on a shirt and jeans, I found my boots nearby and joined the rest by the campfire.

For the next week or so, I either helped with patrols, whether around Sanctuary, while spending a day each going to and from Abernathy and Tenpines, or helping with any building work. The best bit of news was that another suit of power armour was found in a railcar near Tenpines. Someone had to hack a terminal to get at it, but once news was passed, I headed there straight away with an F.C, powered it up, and took it back to Sanctuary. It was a similar model to the armour we already had. I immediately began training Preston in how to use it, as I figured he could use it when protecting Sanctuary, or when leading his own expeditions away from the settlement. He would be left in charge while I was away.

We’d torn down two houses by now, leaving us six that were habitable. We still needed for more beds and mattresses, some people making do with a sleeping bag or bedroll until we could get something better. But considering many were used to lying on the ground, they were happy with anything soft.

But while helping Sanctuary continue to grow felt good, there was a desire to continue exploring, discovering what else was around. Boston as I had once known it was gone so I wondered what remained, or what had replaced it. One evening, I sat down with Preston and a few others and explained what was on my mind.

“I’m heading south for the river. Cambridge is the last suburb before it. It was the home of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, had a large student population, and would be a great place for salvage, particularly high-tech stuff.” I looked at Sturges. “Definitely the sort of things you’d love to get your hands on.”

“Further south you go, the more dangerous it gets, Nate,” Preston warned, “Power armour is great and all, but you’ll run into a lot more Raiders, then Gunners, who are certainly better armed, and if you run into any muties…”

“I know but it has to be done. This is my main mission at the moment, but Vault-Tec and what they did remains the primary objective, at least until I have answers. You now have a suit of power armour of your own. You’ll be able to keep the region safe while I’m gone.”

“Sure you don’t want assistance?”

“Appreciated, but for the moment, keeping Sanctuary safe is the most important thing.”

“When will you leave?”

“I’ll start prepping today and leave at dawn tomorrow. I’ll keep in contact as long as I can."


	6. Ad Victoriam

I spent a long time prepping before I assured myself there was nothing else I could do. We’d found more than one duffel bag around Lexington, so in that I packed plenty of spare ammo, glad we’d found a few magazines, grabbing plenty of pipe weapons and breaking them down, Sturges and a couple of other settlers proving skilled in carpentry and metalwork. I took a little tinned food, some salted meats, a few tato’s and mutfruits, but I didn’t want to take too much. Most important was water. Sturges was busy designing a purifier, but it was going to take a lot of work to get one up and running. I suggested if I could find one, I’d mark it and we’d see if we could transport it.

The weather was remarkably awful the day I decided to leave, the first proper day of rain since I’d woken up. Settlers remained indoors and no-one really blamed them. The idea of getting a cold and developing into something worse was considerably higher than pre-war, and without modern medicine, no doubt other diseases once almost eradicated had returned.

Preston walked me to the barricade by the bridge, assuring him I would keep in contact as long as I could, and to look after Max. I was tempted to take my dog, but not knowing when I would return, I figured he could stay there. We’d found a dog house for him so at least he could remain safe and dry as well.

“You run into trouble, make sure you radio in. I can come with power armour and I’m sure more than enough people would be willing to make the journey south.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not looking to get myself killed. But it is time to make a move.”

“I understand, Nate. All I can do is wish you good luck and hope you return safe and sound.”

“Hopefully I’ll be fine. Maybe even make a friend or two on the way.”

We shook hands before I looped the duffel bag around my shoulder and began the long journey south. I followed the same roads as before, and was pleased to pass a caravan heading in the opposite direction just as I was leaving Concord. “Are you heading to Sanctuary?” I asked.

“Sure am. Is that where you’re from?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m Nate. There’s a large settlement. Around forty to fifty people now.”

She offered her hand, which I took gently in mine. “Carla. Glad to hear of another settlement forming. Don’t suppose you’re a Minuteman now? Heard rumours they’ve been slowly reforming.”

“In a way, yes, I am. It’s a long story that I can’t really share right now.”

“Of course. Watch yourself the further south you go. Ghouls and Raiders have made their home in the ruins.”

“I’ll be careful, but thanks for the tip. And if you can pass word to any other caravans about Sanctuary, that would be great.”

I was on the outskirts of Lexington before noon, just what I wanted, barely stopping for a break. Though the suit was air-conditioned, and despite the fact it didn’t require monumental effort, it was still exhausting. I was thankful for the rain, as at least the sun wasn’t shining. Metal armour was a heat conductor, usually leaving me a sweating mess whenever I hopped out of it.

With Corvega to my left, the highway over my head, I could see the ruins of Boston more clearly than ever. Part of my heart did sink as, even from this distance, the destruction was apparent. Plenty of buildings remained, but with each step I got closer, you could see the two centuries of neglect, and I did wonder what the scene was like on the ground itself.

The condition of the road itself was horrific, numerous pot-holes while parts had simply crumbled away, much like other roads I’d already walked along. I walked by a body of water that, even from a distance, looked polluted as hell, but otherwise there wasn’t much around, very little to explore. I walked by a junkyard, careful not to get too close, a sixth sense telling me all was not well, and I could only guess at the stench coming from it.

There was another elevated highway ahead, passing under that after another couple of hours walking, stopping only briefly to pop a packet of food to give me a modicum of energy. I knew Cambridge was waiting beyond the overpass, and the path was still sloping down. Like Lexington, quite a few buildings remained though many were not completely intact. Some were missing a roof. Others, a wall or walls had collapsed. Others had just collapsed entirely, nothing but a mound of bricks and rubble.

Switching to check radio frequencies, I was surprised when a new one popped up. “What the hell is military frequency AF-95?” I asked myself. For a few brief moments, I almost felt a sense of joy, believing they could be remnants of the army, though I dismissed that as quickly as I thought it. No-one seemed to have a clue what the army actually was.

“ _This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated message repeating...”_

Scribe Haylen? Reconnaissance Squad Gladius? I don’t care who you are, that’s military or close enough to it. Requesting support or evac? That’s military jargon if ever I’ve heard it. And I knew exactly where Cambridge Police Station was. Shotgun in hand, I headed south quickly, turning left and right a couple of times until I was on the correct road south. Heading towards College Square, I did slow, those old senses suggesting something wasn’t right. The trailers and wooden catwalks suggested either a settlement or camp, and definitely some sort of trap. Beyond the trailer I was approaching was a killing field.

But it appeared deserted, though I stuck to the side of a building, moving slowly and carefully, keeping my eyes open and listening intently for a single sound.

Ghouls. A fuck load of ghouls. I moved quickly as they started to rise, blasting those closest to me as I backed away. I could hear them growl as I moved away quickly, hearing gunfire in the distance, turning and jogging as quickly as I could in power armour, which was never the easiest thing to do. The firefight sounded intense, barely relenting, and I could see what seemed like hundreds of ghouls attacking.

I fired and charged towards them, some turning towards me as I practically bowled them over at full speed, sending quite a few of them flying. Blasting and battering my way, I heard a shout from one of the soldiers above me. I managed to clear a path, the police station now ahead of me, noticing one soldier in power armour, wielding a laser rifle, while a lone soldier was on the walkway above, armed with a combat rifle.

Walking backwards, I shot any ghoul that ran towards me, hearing the twang of the laser rifle at the same time. Walking up the steps, I stood beside the soldier as he glanced my way. “Thanks for the assist.”

“Heard the radio call. Figured you could use some help.”

“Fucking ferals.” He whistled at the soldier on the walkway. “Get your arse back here, Knight.”

“At once, Paladin.”

Knight? Paladin? What kind of rankings were they using in this force? I didn’t worry about it, simply focusing on shooting ghouls. They didn’t relent, that’s for sure. I was glad I could stick magazines of shells around my body, as I must have fired upwards of fifty of them. By the time we were done, the ground was just littered with the bodies of ghouls, or their limbs. We spent a little time walking around, putting a bullet into any that somehow survived the onslaught.

Only when assured that every ghoul was dead did we finally take a moment to relax, and only then did I notice his eyes finally take me in. Power armour. Well-armed. And proficient with a weapon. I could understand why his thanking me for helping would turn to concern. To ease any worries, I stored the shotgun on the slot on my leg that Sturges had designed.

“I’m a friendly. It’s okay.”

“If you don’t me asking, who are you?”

“Nate Shepard. It’s… a long story.”

“Fair enough. I’ll keep the questions simple. Where are you from?”

“Here. Boston. Currently residing in Sanctuary Hills, which is to the north of here. Spent two hundred years in Vault 111.”

“Two hundred… what?”

“As I said, it’s a long story.”

He looked me up and down, noticing the weapons on my body, the duffel bag on my back, the fact I was in power armour. “You’re not civilian, that’s for sure. Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”

“United States Army.”

“United Sta…” He paused a moment. “Long story?”

“Very long. I’m just pleased to run into some trained soldiers.” I paused a moment. “Who are you?”

“Paladin Danse. Brotherhood of Steel.” He turned and gestured as two others joined us. “With me is Knight Rhys and Scribe Haylen. I've been trying to send a distress call to my superiors, but the signal's too weak to reach them. You came at just the right time. That’s the largest pack of ferals we’ve had to fight since arriving in the Commonwealth.”

“Sir, if I may?” Haylen asked. I looked at her and immediately thought she was cute.

“Proceed, Haylen.”

“I've modified the radio tower on the roof of the police station, but I'm afraid it just isn't enough. What we need is something that will boost the signal.”

Danse looked at me, looked me up and down again, and he seemed to come to a decision quite quickly. “Our target was ArcJet Systems, and it contains the technology we need. A Deep Range Transmitter. We need to infiltrate the facility, secure the transmitter and bring it back here. So, what do you say? You willing to lend the Brotherhood of Steel a hand?”

“One moment. I’ve been in the fridge for two hundred years. Part of that story I can explain. Who are the Brotherhood of Steel?”

“Our order seeks to understand the nature of technology. It's power. It's meaning to us as humans. And we fight to secure that power from those who would abuse it.”

To be honest, it sounded like one hell of a noble cause. Considering technology practically destroyed the world we lived in, keeping it away from idiots was a good idea, though it depended on what the Brotherhood chose to do with it instead. Power corrupts, after all. “Your cause seems noble,” I admitted, though that was only first impressions. I’d been wrong before.

That seemed to please all three of them. “There are very few outside the Brotherhood who appreciate the gravity of the situation we're facing as a species.”

“That’s an understatement considering what I’ve seen so far. So that’s your goal, but what do you think was the cause?”

“Before the Great War, science and technology became more of a burden than a benefit. The atom bomb, bio-engineered plagues and FEV are clear examples of the horrors that technological advancement had wrought. We're here to make sure that never happens again.”

Again, never judge on first appearances. It might sound noble, but peel back the cover, and I could find a system as corrupt as any other. Though I wasn’t aware of everything he just mentioned, the fact humanity had practically destroyed itself with atomic weaponry suggested he was at least partly right. And stopping humanity from destroying itself completely wasn’t a bad idea. “I lived through those last few years before the war. I can see what you mean already.”

“How is that possible?” Haylen asked, “You should be well over two hundred years old and… dead.” She paused. “Unless you’re a ghoul underneath that armour?”

“Not a ghoul. Need proof?” I looked at Danse and he shook his head. “As I said, it’s a long story. But I saw the bombs dropped and I already know something like that should never happen again.”

“So you see reason for our cause? That’s good. So, what do you say? Will you help us?”

“I was only heading as far as the river before heading back to Sanctuary Hills. But, yes, I’ll help you.”

“Outstanding! Rhys, are you capable of patrolling the perimeter?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Haylen, see what you can do about getting the building in some sort of shape.”

“At once, sir.”

“You ready, civilian?” I was about to clarify I wasn’t exactly that, but considering I had retired before the bombs, he was right. “If you want, you can leave the duffel bag here. No-one will dare steal anything. Not in the Brotherhood.”

“Sure, thanks.”

I headed inside to be greeted by a state of disrepair, though it seemed they’d been busy fixing some of the mess. I dumped the bag in a spare room, taking out a few magazines, storing those where I could, pistol on my right hip, shotgun on my left leg, rifle on my back. The minigun was now part of the defensive wall of Sanctuary, attached to a tripod and a Minuteman ready to use it within a couple of seconds.

Haylen and Rhys walked inside as I was readying myself. Haylen seemed friendly enough, but when Rhys looked at me, he scowled, and I sensed he wasn’t pleased that I was helping. I didn’t really care, finishing what I needed to do before heading out.

“All right, civilian, it's time to prove your worth.”

“Where are we headed?”

“The place we need is located south-west of here. Though I would rather travel with light, the fact we are out of communication means we must make this trip quickly.”

“We should move immediately then. Quicker we make it there, the quicker we can return.”

So that’s what we did, circling around the police station and heading south towards the river. We marched along at a decent pace, both of us armed and ready to shoot at anything that even looked at us funny. “Mind if I ask a couple of questions?”

“Go ahead, civilian.”

“Why a police station?”

“Given the nature of the facility, we felt it would be tactically advantageous to search it for weapons and ammunition. The radio tower on the roof was an unexpected boon, but it obviously has its shortcomings that need to be rectified. It might not be as imposing as the Citadel back in the Capital Wasteland, but it suits our purposes.”

“Hang on? The Citadel? The Capital Wasteland?”

“The Citadel is what was once the Pentagon.” He did stop to look at me. “I guess you know that name?” I nodded and he continued. “The Capital Wasteland is what was once Washington D.C.”

“How badly was it hit?”

“Most of D.C was flattened by numerous strikes, at least from the information we’ve managed to source.”

I’d only ever been to our nation’s capital once but to hear it had been flattened wasn’t a surprise. Also a little sad, I guess. It was obvious the entire government had been wiped out and that everything had simply fallen apart in the aftermath.

“Is the Brotherhood in any way related to the United States Army? Are you its remnants?”

“To be honest, I don’t know. You’d have to ask those higher in the command chain. Scribes have no doubt accounted for the history of our organisation from the earliest days, though in the confusion after the bombs fell, I’m sure much has been lost.”

We turned onto a road that followed the river, Danse suggesting that the factory we needed was in the distance. As we walked, he continued to explain what the Brotherhood was doing in the Commonwealth. “It might surprise you to learn that my recon team isn't the first to visit the Commonwealth. Over the last seven years, two other teams were sent here by the Brotherhood to gather technology. The first team's mission was a huge success. They came back with crates full of pre-war artefacts and historical documents. The second wasn't so fortunate. Shortly after they arrived, we lost contact with them and they haven't been heard from since. As far as my team goes, we've lost four good men to this godforsaken wasteland. We've been a target from the moment we arrived.”

“By who?”

“Ghouls. Raiders. Gunners. Even a deathclaw. We might have technology on our side, but when we’re out-gunned by groups four to five times our size, there is a limit to what we can achieve. And many simply don’t like our presence. I guess those of us in our power armour can be a little intimidating.”

“I’ve had the same problem approaching settlements further north.”

“What was your name again, civilian?”

“Nate. Nate Shepard.”

“And you’re a vault dweller?”

“Technically speaking. Tell you what. We finish this mission, get back to Cambridge safe and sound, and we can play twenty questions. I have nothing to hide.”

“Good enough for me. Should be another half an hour to ArcJet tops.” He paused a minute, again seeming to give something thought, before adding, “If it was up to me, I'd relocate my team to our destination, but Scribe Haylen detected some disturbing energy readings in the area that need to be investigated before we considered such a move. We don't know much about them, except that they're short-lived and broadcast on a frequency only obtainable with a high level of technology. We're concerned that whoever or whatever is creating those energy readings might be a potential threat, so it's our job to investigate.”

“Was this your reason to journey to the Commonwealth?”

“Yes and no. We only picked the readings up upon our arrival. The scope of our mission is broad. To find and take any technology that might fall into the wrong hands.” He glanced my ways. “Not often we get civilians in power armour assisting us.”

“It’s part of that long story.”

“I’m sure it will be riveting.”

It was well and truly dark by the time we made it to the outskirts of ArcJet, and like every other building, it seemed to be long deserted. Danse had obviously sent scouts, stating there were no defences outside at least, and through the windows, it appeared there was at least a little power, perhaps a backup generator keeping the lights running. I knew an F.C contained juice that lasted a long time, but the thought it still powered buildings after two hundred years boggled even my mind.

He stopped me at the door. “Listen up. We do this clean and quiet. No heroics and by the book. Understood?”

“I’ve done sweep and retrieve before, but I understand why you’re telling me. Don’t want friendly fire, right?”

“Right. Now, I’ll admit I’m not sure where this transmitter is, so we will have to carry out a thorough search. And keep in mind, considering those energy readings, we might not be the only people here. So, take it easy, check your targets.”

Being indoors and close quarters, I took the shotgun from its slot on my leg, checked it was fully loaded, and let Danse take the lead. Within seconds, I realised half the building was in ruins, and that finding the transmitter could take all night if we were unlucky. We moved slowly and carefully, not sneaking ahead but not drawing attention to ourselves either. As we walked, Dane gave more opinions regarding the world before the bombs dropped, the exploitative corporations, who cared more about making money than anything else. I couldn’t help agree with what he said. I still thought about the war we’d fought in Alaska. Half the war was about the Chinese invading sovereign territory. But we also knew we were sent to protect the oil.

We’d passed through reception and entered what had once been security, finding a trio of Protectrons that had been eliminated. Danse wasn’t pleased. In fact, his concern greatly increased. And I had a feeling it wasn’t Brotherhood handiwork either. “There isn't a single spent ammunition casing or drop of blood in sight,” he muttered.

“Well, I’m gathering it wasn’t your people. Doubt it could be someone like Raiders. So who?”

“These robots were assaulted by Institute synths.” I looked at him blankly. “You haven’t heard about them?”

“No. Who or what is the Institute?”

“They're a group of scientists who went underground when the Great War started. Spent the last few decades littering the Commonwealth with their technological nightmares.”

“The Great War? Is that what they call the bombings? Hardly call it a war, to be honest. Nuclear holocaust or armageddon would be more appropriate”

“They needed to name it something. From what little is known, the nuclear exchange lasted two hours. By the end, the United States, its government and its military was destroyed. Most Americans were vaporised where they were. Those lucky enough to survive probably didn’t think they were once the radiation hit. As for the rest of the world, not much is known. It is assumed China was obliterated entirely, but I doubt we’ll ever really know.”

“And a synth?”

“They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to ‘improve’ upon humanity.”

I figured he meant some sort of robotic human. Rumours had abounded before the war about such things. Humanity and particularly America had been obsessed with robotics, and many thought human robots would be the eventual outcome. If this Institute had continued the research in the two hundred years since, it was little surprise they might have had the capability of doing it.

Reaching another control room, we had to find a password for a locked door, and upon opening it, we were ambushed. We fell back into whatever cover we could find as at least half a dozen synths attacked. I didn’t both trying to judge how human they were, I simply let them get into blast range. They were firing some sort of laser weapon, and realising the fire they were taking in return, they pulled back to the corridor.

That’s when I unhooked a grenade and threw it. Seeing it bounce off the wall, two synths dove out of the way, hearing the grenade explode, hopefully taking out others as Danse and I moved forward, putting down three in three seconds before turning the corner, finding two synths dead, one alive but on the ground. Danse seemed to take pleasure in killing it.

The synths were there in force. For what reason, Danse couldn’t even begin to guess. I didn’t have a clue either, so we agreed to just shoot to kill, get the transmitter, and leave. Working our way through a series of hallways, we had to pass through a room with turrets, having to take those out with our rifles, before boarding an elevator and ending up in what Danse called the engine core. Looking up, I took a guess and figured it might have been a design that was to take humans to the moon.

He mentioned something about needing to take a separate elevator to the control room above us, but after trying to board it, there was no power. I could only groan. I wasn’t an engineer, nor was Danse, so we were fucked if we couldn’t get it started. He suggested there could be a backup generator somewhere that might provide limited power. Sounded good enough to me, so as he stood guard, I went to take a look around.

There was a terminal that would start the auxiliary generators. I was pleased that so many terminals had been unlocked, so getting the power re-established wasn’t too difficult. Concentrating as I was, I didn’t hear gunfire for a few seconds, looking out the window to see a horde of synths heading towards Danse. He was taking cover as best he could.

Looking across the control panel, I saw the big yellow button with a label stating ‘Fire’.

“Danse, I’m starting the engine. Take cover!”

Whether he heard me or not, I’m not sure, but I slammed that button so hard, I’m sure I nearly broke it. The engine took a few seconds to spark into life, but once it did, the light was so bright I had to turn away lest I be blinded. Almost like watching a nuclear detonation. Hearing the engine finally turn off after a few seconds, I turned to see that most of the synths had simply been burned to ash, while thankfully Danse had managed to take cover enough though, when I approached him, I could smell heated metal.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Smart move. Thanks for the warning. Glad I wasn’t closer to the engine otherwise my arse would have been cooked.”

“At least the power is back on. Think there are synths waiting for us?”

“Absolutely. So we go in hot, catch them off guard. Long as we get the transmitter and come out alive.”

“Agreed.”

I’m sure two soldiers bursting into a small room would definitely be called ‘shock and awe’. While the synths might have been somewhat prepared, I doubt they expected the immediate barrage of gunfire as I headed straight for the nearest synth, literally taking his head off before swinging for the next synth, blast into the chest, before clubbing a third that was armed only with some sort of baton. No idea what Danse did but he certainly shot his fair share too.

The shooting only lasted thirty seconds at most. By the end, I had a couple of burn marks on my armour, as did Danse. But all the synths were dead, that was the important thing. Danse activated a device that led him to the transmitter, and without wasting any time, we boarded the elevator back to the ground floor and hightailed it out of there. It was pitch black outside, letting our eyes adjust to the darkness before turning on our spotlights to guide us back.

Walking through the doors of Cambridge Police Station, Rhys was in position behind the desk, stating Haylen was resting, ready to take the next watch. I was now beyond exhausted, happily getting out of my power armour, Danse doing the same. Purified water was offered, and I did gulp down a couple of tubes. Rhys kept watch as Danse and I headed into what had once been the break room.

“Well, consider me impressed with all that, Nate. Your military training was obvious.”

“Thanks. Appears the Brotherhood has continued on some of the traditions.”

“Before I propose something, what is your story? You’ve mentioned one or two things. You don’t have to go in depth but consider me intrigued.”

“Technically, I’m around two hundred and forty-five years old. On the day the bombs dropped, I was cryogenically frozen alongside my wife and around ten of my neighbours from Sanctuary Hills. I woke up a couple of months back now, two hundred and ten years later. Apart from some ghouls, I’m the only person alive that witnessed the bombs being dropped. One landed outside Boston just as the platform leading down in the vault started.”

“But you were the only survivor?”

“Yes. Something went wrong. The pod I was in ejected me. The rest… well, they died. Including my wife. I buried her in the backyard of our home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’ve dealt with the grief. Now I just want answers. It’s why I was heading south. I was scouting as far as the river, then I was ready to head across at a later time. A company called Vault-Tec was responsible for building the vault. I found some information while I was leaving the vault, but I want to know more. Were the other vaults like mine, sadistic experiments done on people who simply wanted to survive? Or were we a lone outlier and other vaults were safe havens for the lucky few who escaped the bombs?”

“Before the war, you were a soldier?”

“United States Army. I reached the rank of Major. I’ve heard the ranks you’ve used so understand things are a little different. But I fought for fifteen years, nearly all of them in Alaska. Earned a few medals for it.”

“And that is exactly why I want to make you a proposal. The Brotherhood of Steel are always on the lookout for talented, courageous soldiers. Considering you are technically a civilian, the fact you stepped forward to help us spoke volumes of your character. So I am offering you the chance to join our ranks in the Brotherhood of Steel. What you do say?”

I gave it some thought. They were clearly an army, at least some sort, and that was familiar, at least. I didn’t know anything about synths, but I guess I’d learn more the longer I was with them. Their cause seemed noble too but, then again, so was our cause in Alaska, and look how that turned out in the end. I agreed with what he said about technology. It wasn’t the only reason why war had broken out but it was certainly a contributing factor. Humanity had reached for the stars and ended up destroying itself instead.

But if I joined them, they would no doubt want me dedicated to the cause, and right now, I needed to focus on my own affairs. Once I had the information I wanted, or simply reached a dead end, then perhaps things would change. The thing that worried me most was that it would interfere with the help I was giving to the Minutemen. I believed in what they were trying to do. I think the two factions shared some similar ideals, but I didn’t believe they’d ever work together.

“First, I want to thank you for the offer, Paladin. I am honoured that you would consider me worthy of joining your ranks. And I’m not saying no, I’m saying not yet. I need to deal with my personal issues first. If I abandon them now, I won’t be able to dedicate myself to your cause fully. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I do, Nate. And what you say makes sense.”

“There is a second reason. You might not have heard of them but I am working with a group called the Minutemen. We’re slowly but surely re-establishing order to the Commonwealth. It’s a slow process, it will take years before we push out all the Raiders and Gunners. And while some of the ideals are the same, the Minutemen keep things simple. There are plenty of farms and settlements around that need our help. Sanctuary Hills, where I used to live, is one such settlement.”

“So you’ve been busy since waking up.”

“It’s certainly unexpected but it’s the right thing to do. I’m the last one alive, apart from a few ghouls, that either saw the bombs drop, or was at least around when they did. So I guess I see it as a responsibility to help at least some people recover from it. We provide a roof over the head, a little food in the belly, and a place to rest at night in safety. I’m guessing people don’t have a lot, and have little to hope for. I’d like to think we give at least some of the latter.”

“You’re an idealist.”

“I wasn’t before, I can promise you that.”

“While I’m disappointed you won’t join immediately, I can certainly see the reason why you wish to delay joining our order. Nevertheless, you have certainly proved an ally to the cause. My team and I will remain based her. Once we have the transmitter working properly, we will hopefully be reinforced. So, considering this police station a safe haven for yourself. Do you want payment for the mission just carried out?”

“Well, I’m not a mercenary, but if you’re offering…”

“You haven’t asked, Nate, so I’m willing to pay you for the assistance. You know about caps, of course. Let me grab some for you.” He disappeared, eventually handing over a small bag. I didn’t count them as it would have been rude and it wasn’t important anyway. “Grab a bed tonight and you can stay as long as you want. I’ll give you the frequency we communicate on so you can remain in touch. If you ever run in trouble around Boston, give us a call and I’ll see if we can assist.”

“Thanks, Danse. That’s going above and beyond.”

“Well, I’ll admit I’d rather keep you alive so you can hopefully join our order at a later date.”

I yawned and suggested we should really get some sack time, checking my Pip-Boy to see it was early morning by some distance. Heading into the lone room with mattresses, I noticed Haylen on a mattress by herself and the long and flowing red hair certainly stood out. I undressed to my underwear, collapsed onto a mattress with little more than a thin blanket and pillow, and was asleep in barely a minute or so.

Waking after a few hours, I dressed and wandered out, where I noticed Haylen nursing a coffee cup. I definitely felt my eyes widen as she looked at me and grinned. “Want some coffee?”

“There’s still coffee around?”

“Sure there is.”

“Yes. Yes, please!”

She poured me a cup of hot black as I took a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and a flip-lighter. Offering the pack to Haylen, she happily took one, lighting it for her, as I looked her over. I did find the red hair captivating. It was just something I liked on a woman. She noticed, of course, blushing slightly and running her hand through it. “Colourful, isn’t it?”

“Sure is,” I replied before taking a drag, “My wife was a redhead. She had green eyes though. Emerald green.”

“You speak as if…”

“Yeah,” I said, taking a sip of coffee, “Danse heard the story last night. I’m a man out of my own time, Haylen. I spent just over two hundred years in the fridge.”

“Well, at least you’re not actually a ghoul.”

“No. I just feel a little weird at times. Everything is different, obviously.”

“Are you going to join our order?”

“Not yet. As I told Danse, it’s not a permanent no, but I have my own problems to solve first. Once those are solved, I’ll consider joining your order. Considering I’ve been part of the armed forces, joining the Brotherhood of Steel won’t be too much of a shock. Your ranks are different though. You’re a Scribe, correct?”

“Yes. I’m a trained soldier, but I’m not frontline like Danse… or yourself, if you were to join. I’m a scientist and researcher. I’m a member of the Order of the Quill, focusing primarily on finding, researching and cataloguing civilian technology. I also dabble in engineering, though not to the extent of others.”

“Is the Brotherhood primarily military in focus or…?”

“I guess it’s a dual outlook, with a focus on finding and retrieving any and all technology, while also attempting to assist the civilian population.”

“Certainly need all the help they can get. Humanity has fallen from a very great height. Considering the lives we lived up until October 23rd, 2077, it’s almost like we’ve fallen back a few hundred years, except we still have guns. Having to walk everywhere… I don’t suppose there are horses around?”

“If they still exist, I’m sure they’re mutated, Nate. Nope, you’re going to have to rely on your own two legs. But you’ve got power armour so you can’t complain too much.”

Stubbing out my cigarette and drinking the rest of my coffee, I grabbed my duffel bag, sliding a new magazine into my shotgun, checking my other weapons were in working order, before grabbing a mutfruit and munching on that before I figured it was time to leave. Haylen had been watching me out of the corner of her eye as I’d done it. I was trying to guess her age. I had a feeling she was younger than me, though probably older than Jennifer. Whatever the case, she seemed rather bright and definitely intelligent.

“Hey, Nate, one thing…” she said, just as I was about to get into my power armour.

Looking around, I asked, “Yeah?”

“I’m glad you weren’t a ghoul under that armour.”

I couldn’t help grin. “Me too. I’ll see you later, Scribe Haylen.”

“Where are you going now?”

“I was originally going to just head back to Sanctuary, but I might as well keep heading south. I was told there was some sort of town called Diamond City.”

“Cross the bridge and you’ll eventually see signs that will lead you to it. It’s perhaps the only beacon of civilisation in the Commonwealth.”

“Good. Hopefully someone will be able to give me the answers I want or the help I need.”

“Good luck, Nate.”

“Thanks.”

Climbing into my power armour, I looped the duffel bag over my shoulder, clipped my shotgun and pistol into place, and headed outside. Rhys was in position on the barricade, rifle in hand, walking back and forth. Danse was in position by the door, appearing relaxed by no doubt ready to fire immediately. We shook hands and he wished me luck on my quest as well before I walked under the barricade and turned to look south. I could see the bridge ahead and, past that, the centre of Boston itself.

With a last salute at the two Brotherhood soldiers, I took the shotgun from my thigh and resumed my journey south.


	7. Stop the Presses

“Sanctuary, this is Nate. Do you read me?”

I was almost out of range by now. There was a lot of crackling but I eventually heard Sturges. _“Nate, this is Sanctuary. We hear you. What is your position?”_

“About to cross the river. Once I do, I will probably be out of range. I haven’t found any relay towers yet, so I’ll likely be radio silent until I begin the journey back. I have something to report. You’ll want to pass this on immediately.”

_“Go ahead, Nate. Preston is listening.”_

“Made contact with an organisation yesterday. Brotherhood of Steel. Only a small force, numbering three, though they did number more at an earlier time but have taken casualties. Their mission is in regards to obtaining technology. At the moment, consider them friendlies.”

 _“I’ve heard of them before, Nate,”_ Preston replied, _“We ran into one of their patrols a few years back. I wouldn’t consider them ‘friendly’ but they didn’t cause us any problems.”_

“Good, so you know what you’re dealing with. They’re based out of Cambridge Police Station, about a click north of the river. They are aware of the Minutemen. While they’ve offered help to me, I’m sure if you run into any issues, they might be able to provide assistance. Just something to keep in mind.”

_“Sanctuary Hills is peaceful at the moment. Settlers continue to arrive. We’re now sending some to Sunshine, Abernathy and Tenpines. We’re also sending small teams of Minutemen and scavengers further afield though not further than the highways until your say so. Carla has also arrived and mentioned you met while you were heading south. She has promised to spread the word that the Minutemen are being rebuilt and more caravans will start heading our way to trade.”_

“Good news. Just be aware that word being spread will eventually put a target on our backs.”

_“Our defences are solid, Nate. And those who wish to serve are training daily. We’ll be ready if they decide to attack.”_

“Excellent. Right, I’m going to cross so you won’t hear from me for a while. Good luck.”

_“You too, Nate. Sanctuary out.”_

Just getting across the bridge was an experience in itself. Being a bascule bridge, a boat had crashed as either side was going up or down. But it meant I had to walk an incline, and as I peered over the edge, I could see raiders had made a home for themselves on a barge attached. I’d already made my mind up that I’d take out any Raiders I ran into, and this was no different. And having a height advantage, I took out my rifle, stayed in cover, and did my best to line up shots.

The first two struck home, gunfire immediately returned, most only hitting the concrete supports around me, noticing two raiders run up the boat, armed only with blunt weapons. I shook my head in absolute dismay at such tactics, placing my rifle on the ground, unclipping my shotgun and spun as the first one appeared. Absolutely no fear whatsoever, but no brains either, waiting until they were as close as possible before firing. The blast sent them flying backwards into their friend, walking up as he tried to lift his dead companion off him.

“You people are seriously fucking stupid,” I said as I aimed the barrel and pulled the trigger.

Having cleared a few of them, I clipped the rifle back into position and headed down. There were only three left, but was dressed in a power armour frame, but lacking the actual armour parts, except for one or two basic looking bodge jobs. I cooked and threw a grenade, forcing them into cover as I charged forward into cover of my own.

“You’re dead, arsehole!” one of them yelled.

Same threats, same idiots. They were smart enough to remain in cover, peeking out to take their positions. I cook another grenade and threw, hearing it land and explode, followed by either cries of pain or someone dying. But I knew now only one or two remained, so I surged forward, crossing a rickety wooden platform before stepping onto the barge, heading straight for the raider in the power armour frame. Head exposed, I simply aimed and fired, though missed, most of the shot hitting his frame, though that alone would have caused damage. A second raider was above me, firing down, swinging my shotgun to fire, hearing him cry out, before I turned back to the other raider, who was definitely injured but just charged at me.

“Fuck you!” he yelled.

I met his charge, and with all the armour I had, he went flying backwards, lifting my shotgun again and blasting. I heard the groan as he would have taken more damage, lifting my shotgun just enough this time, his eyes going wide as I pulled the trigger. I swung around to the last raider, who was nursing wounds in both legs. Reaching up, I dragged him down to the floor.

“Ow, man. Fuck…” I lifted the shotgun and aimed. He lifted his arms in front of his face, but it wasn’t going to stop a shell at such close range.

Checking the barge, I found plenty of supplies, mostly ammunition as always, filling a couple more magazines. Most of the weaponry was sub-standard again, though I finally got my hand on a combat rifle. .45 caliber, which could be used in rifles, pistols or carbines. I checked the weapon over, impressed at how well it had been maintained. And I immediately thought if I could find a combat rifle in the hands of a raider, what other sort of weapons might I find? I immediately thought of something such as an assault rifle, preferably full-automatic so I could just spray idiots with bullets. Or a proper hunting rifle for scoping and distance.

Climbing back up the boat, I crossed the bridge and, though I’d been to the centre of Boston plenty of times, the destruction was obvious, and I quickly realised that many streets were not cleared. But I saw signs written on wooden boards stating that Diamond City was ahead. And I almost slapped my head in my own stupidity as I started to head south. How did I not put two and two together earlier?

I would have smiled as I approached what had been called Fenway Park two hundred years earlier, though I figured that baseball was no longer being played. The road leading towards Diamond City was quiet, and I soon passed by what looked like security guards, who to my amusement, were wearing what baseball umpires used to wear. But they were armed with weapons, and I passed by more than one machine gun turret.

I eventually reached one of the old entrances leading into Fenway. I stopped and could almost close my eyes, remembering the sounds and smells of game day. Hawkers selling tickets, team memorabilia, food and drink, even betting slips. Families, couples, single men and women arriving to watch baseball, most wearing a team shirt or hat, some having their face painted, plenty of kids wearing gloves. Some would hang around the player entrance, hoping for an autograph or a photo. I still remember the excitement of the last game I’d seen with Nora, believing we were on the verge of greatness.

Away with my thoughts, I hadn’t heard the commotion by the closed gate, glancing to see a woman speaking to someone in the intercom, and she was not happy as it sounded like someone was making sure she couldn’t enter the ground. Knowing it was at least one entrance inside, and from what I could see, the only one that remained operational, I approached and she immediately looked a little concerned at the person arriving in power armour, but as I wasn’t armed, she did relax enough before she grinned. She was… quite pretty, actually. “You! You want into Diamond City, right?” she asked quietly.

“Well, yeah, that’s what I’m here.”

She gestured for me to come a little closer as a grin crossed her features. I almost laughed as I knew exactly what she had planned. “What was that? You said you're a trader up from Quincy? You have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked. You hear that, Danny? You gonna open the gate and let us in? Or are you going to be the one talking to crazy Myrna about losing out on all this supply?”

I almost laughed as I couldn’t believe whoever was on the other end of the intercom bought it. “Geez, all right. No need to make it personal, Piper. Give me a minute.”

We stood back as the gate slowly opened up. There were a couple of guards inside plus an older gentleman in the first properly clean suit I’d seen since waking up. And he looked rather pissed off by events, realising immediately that I was no trader. I thought the power armour would have concerned them but I guess I didn’t look like a Raider. His eyes flicked to me before he glared at Piper.

“You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! The… the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I'll have that printer scrapped for parts.”

Ah, so she was a journalist. The fact journalism still existed was a surprise, and nice to see it hadn’t changed if she was managing to piss off those in power. With the collapse of society in the United States, the imposition of martial law, it had always amazed me that the freedom of the press remained. And it appeared there was still a free press, though I had no idea what standard it was now at, but it told me that there was still some education.

“Oooh, that a statement, Mr. McDonough? "Tyrant mayor shuts down the press?" I almost laughed again. The accusation in the tone would have chilled many to the bone. She must have been bloody good at her job. Then Piper turned to me. “Why don't we ask the newcomer? You support the news? 'Cause the mayor's threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster.”

“The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. So yes, Miss Piper, I support the freedom of the press. Without it, any government, no matter how small, has no-one asking questions that matter to us all.”

Piper blinked at me in surprise. I think the mayor was flabbergasted at hearing such words, probably having never heard them before. Piper then grinned. “He's got you there, McDonough. Guess not everyone gets won over by that shark smile of yours.”

The mayor, realising it was perhaps wise to move on, cleared his throat. “Now, was there anything particular you came to our city for, stranger?”

“I’ve been heading south for the past couple of days. I’ve been told about Diamond City so though I would visit, perhaps hoping I might find some information about Vault-Tec.”

“Hang on, what? Who or what is Vault-Tec?” Piper asked.

“The people who built the vaults before the Great War.”

“And why are you interested in finding them?”

“Because I’m from a vault.”

She took that revelation in her stride. “If you need an investigator, the best person to speak to would be Nick Valentine of Valentine’s Detective Agency. He might know how to find them.” By now, the mayor had quietly departed, leaving Piper and I alone with a couple of guards. “So you’re from a vault?”

“It’s a long story. Is there somewhere I can store this power armour so I can have a look around. I haven’t been here in a long time…”

“Yeah, there’s a power armour station inside. It should remain safe. I doubt many know how to use power armour. How did you manage to find some?”

“Killed some raiders and a deathclaw for it.”

“Wow. Impressive.”

Heading inside, we climbed the steps and I got my first view of Diamond City. It… wasn’t what I expected. The baseball ground had long gone. Most of the stadium was in some stage of disrepair. Most of the seats had been ripped up. Many of the lights were out, but some of them were still bright, even two centuries later. The diamond had disappeared, now covered with steel and wooden structure. I figured there was probably a bad smell, not looking forward to taking off my power armour for that reason alone.

But, it was civilisation, to a point. It appeared there was some sort of society going on. Looking up, the upper stands had also been converted into dwellings. I could guess that quite a few people did live in Diamond City. “Come on, I’ll show you where to store your armour. Want a tour?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

She led me down the steps onto the ground itself. The grass had long since disappeared, dirt and mud being covered by wooden boards. Leading me past a food stand, there was a power armour station ahead. Climbing out, I made sure to eject the F.C so no-one could get in and walk off with it. The first thing I did was sniff the air. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, but there was still a smell in the air. It wasn’t particularly pleasant, but I figured I could handle it. I met her eyes and grinned, offering my hand. “So, guess I should introduce myself. I’m Nate. Nate Shepard.”

She took the offer, surprised her hands were as soft as they were. “Piper. Piper Wright. Nice to meet you, Blue.”

I couldn’t help grin. “Blue?”

She grabbed my left wrist, holding up my Pip-Boy. “I know you're not wearing the jumpsuit right now but the Pip-Boy and the 'fish out of water' look? Dead giveaways. So you were in a vault?”

“Why don’t you show me around first and then we can sit down and talk about it.”

“That’s a good idea.”

On appearances, it was nothing to write home about, but Diamond City was a good attempt at, well, rebuilding civilisation. There was a science lab, a school, running water, electricity, stores selling goods, two pubs, a few dining places, there was a heavy security presence, and also elements of social class, the ‘rich’ living in the bleachers above. Surprisingly, there was a chapel, suggesting some form of religion had survived into the post-war world. Piper called Diamond City the ‘Great Green Jewel’, which I assume referred to the ‘Green Monster’.

After walking around, we walked towards one of the two bars, the ‘Dugout Inn’. She bought us a couple of beers, surprised they were cold. The man behind the bar noticed my surprise as I took the bottle. “We have rudimentary refrigerator. People like a cold beer,” he explained in a distinctly Russian accent. I had no idea there were any Russians left in the wasteland.

Piper and I found a spare table, taking a seat opposite one another. She looked me up and down, no doubt noting the military fatigues and cap I’d now removed. The fact I was still armed with a pistol at my hip and shotgun on my back raised her interest in me as well, purely from whatever story I had to share.

“So, what does the mayor have against you anyway?” I asked first.

“What d'you think? Print lies and everybody's happy, but if you print the truth...”

“What truth is that?”

“My last story accused Mayor McDonough of being an Institute synth. I can only assume he didn’t appreciate the accusation so attempted to have me exiled.”

“I can’t believe newspapers still exist after the bombs dropped. Is the newspaper yours?”

That made her grin. “It is. Owner and editor. Managed to get a printing press working. I called it ‘Publick Occurrences’. I have my supporters and detractors, but that comes with printing what I investigate and find. Some people find the hard truth a difficult pill to swallow.”

“True. Same thing happened before the war. People didn’t want their idyllic existence shattered by hearing or reading that the government didn’t actually have your best interests at heart.”

“That’s the second or third time you’ve said ‘before the war’, Blue. How do you mean?”

“It’s why I want to find Vault-Tec. Technically, I’m around two hundred and fifty years old. I was alive the day the bombs fell, Piper. There’s a vault just north of Sanctuary Hills. Vault 111. I was cryogenically frozen for just over two hundred years.”

I definitely enjoyed the gaping jaw and sheer look of surprise… but also a mixture of sadness and horror. “I’m… so sorry, Blue.”

“The only thing I’m sorry about is… my wife…” Her hand immediately reached across to take one of my mine. “It’s fine. I’ve grieved. Now I’m just a little bit pissed off about it. But it’s why I want to find Vault-Tec.”

“You’re not the first vault dweller to arrive here.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Well, it couldn’t be anyone from Vault 111, so is there another vault around?”

“There are a few actually, but the one still functioning as I believe it should have done is Vault 81. They’re rather isolationist, keeping their communication and relationship to the outside world at a minimum. I’ve never been inside, but they do trade with one or two caravans.”

“I’d like to meet other vault dwellers, but I doubt they’d have the answers I’m after.”

“When did you wake up?”

“October 23rd, a couple of months back.” I looked around and noticed something for the first time. “You still celebrate Christmas?”

“Yeah, it gives everyone a small chance to hope for something better. So if you woke up a couple of months ago, what have you been doing?”

“I assume you’ve heard of the Minutemen?”

“Last I heard, they’d been wiped out in and around Quincy. Lot of bad news around what happened there.” My face must have fallen as she asked, “You obviously know about it?”

“Five survivors made it to Concord, where I met them not long after waking up. That’s where I found the power armour. I helped them to Sanctuary, where we’ve since made a go at building a settlement. There are now around fifty settlers.”

The smile was genuinely warm. “Really?”

“Yeah, you probably don’t get our signal this far south,” I used our bottles and a couple of other things, “We’ve got Sanctuary here, then Abernathy Farm to the south west, Sunshine to the south of there, then to the east we’ve got Tenpines Bluff. All four settlements are now under the protection of the Commonwealth Minutemen.”

“And it took you to rebuild it?”

“Not just me.”

“But before you arrived, they’d practically disappeared.”

“They have before. Not sure how much history is known, but the first Minutemen fought in the American Revolution.” I paused before asking, “Do you know about that?” The smile was slightly sarcastic, and I couldn’t help chuckle. “Sorry, I just don’t know how much history would be known after everything.”

“Museums that survived were a treasure trove of information. I’m sure quite a lot of information was lost, but we know about the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War One, World War Two…”

“Lot of war.”

“So, were you a soldier before the Great War?”

“Recently retired, but otherwise, yes. I was a member of the United States Army. I fought on the Anchorage Frontline most of the time.”

“Guess that explains how you can use power armour and how you made it this far and safe without a problem.”

“I had some help on the way, but I don’t mind take out raiders at the same time. Or feral ghouls.”

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. “How many raiders?”

“Know of Lexington?” She nodded. “Well, let’s just say Lexington centre and Corvega Assembly Plant are now raider free. And also ghoul free too, clearing out the local supermarket. No plans to do anything there but it makes the road between the Lexington and Sanctuary a little safer, at least.”

“And you did that yourself”?

“Power armour helps, but yes, I did it alone.”

“Wow.” She sounded genuinely impressed. “So you want to find Vault-Tec. And after that?”

“I’m not sure. I did run into the Brotherhood of Steel across the river in Cambridge. I have an offer from them about joining their ranks. Considering they are an army of some sort, it was familiar, at least. Their intentions seem noble.”

“Heard of them but never had any contact.” She paused, no doubt chewing over her next question. “So what do you think of Diamond City?”

“This on or off the record.”

“Off for now but… well, since you’re the only pre-war person we’re ever to likely meet, I’m hoping you might agree to an interview some time.”

“Sure. So, if we’re off the record, I’ll be honest and admit it’s not what I expected… though in a good way. I honestly though humanity would have just collapsed entirely, so the fact I walked in here and was greeted by something vaguely familiar was heartening. There are things that are obviously different but I can’t expect things to have remained the same, not when the humans who survived were left with what probably amounted to an irradiated hellhole. I have no idea what’s really happened in the intervening two hundred years. I imagine it wasn’t easy for the survivors with the collapse of government and society. But the fact people have banded together like they have here suggested there are at least some people who want life to return to at least some sense of normality.”

She smiled again. “That was a better answer than what I was expecting, to be honest.”

“I think raiders are pricks, if that’s what you want to hear. But without law and order, arseholes like that are always going to take advantage, prey on the weak and innocent. But when there are people like that, there are also people who will pick up a weapon and fight, like the Minutemen.”

“And what about the Institute?”

“I don’t know enough about them. I was told a little bit about them by the Brotherhood, and you have told me you think the mayor is a synth. If he is, that’s a remarkable piece of technology.”

She opened her mouth then seemed to stop herself. “I was going to go into a long diatribe about them, but I think you have enough on your plate for the moment. But you’re willing to do an interview”?

“Sure.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Sounds good. I’m honestly in no rush as I doubt anyone is in Vault-Tec hastily deleting records, knowing I’m going to come knocking on their door soon.”

“I’m not sure if any building they may have occupied is still standing.”

Finishing our beers, we headed out and walked around a little more, Piper talking about her life in Diamond City. She’d been born in a small settlement further to the north. It was a tale typical of life after the war. Death and murder. Betrayal and retribution. Raiders and those who stand up and fight. She had a sister, Nat, who went to the local school but also helped run the newspaper, generally hawking it by the front gate. She enjoyed living in Diamond City, though, as it was one of the few places in the Commonwealth where there was vibrancy but also safety.

Walking by the shops, they were selling mostly scrap and salvage, though one was selling weapons and ammunition, before I approached a man I’d seen earlier, dressed in a dirty baseball uniform. “Hey! Swatter! Swatter! Swatter! Swatter! Swing swatter! Why buy just an ordinary piece of wood? A Swatter is custom-made piece of genuine hickory!”

I approached the man, surrounded by a crowd of a dozen or so. I had a feeling it was a regular performance as he pointed at me, Piper whispering into my ear that his name was Moe. “You, sir. You look different. Would you care for a genuine, authentic, custom-made hickory Swatter?”

I knew it was a baseball bat but I was intrigued as to what he knew about baseball. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a Swatter?”

He chuckled to himself. “A rookie, eh? A Swatter, my friend, is a Diamond City tradition. See it used to be that this whole place was a stadium. And two teams would meet and play a game called baseball. One team would beat the other team to death with things called Baseball Bats, and the best bats were called Swatters. True fact.”

I groaned loudly, pinching the bridge of my nose as I heard Piper ask quietly, “Is that not right?”

I looked up as I felt a few eyes on me but I wondered if he knew anything else. “Oh, so what else do you know? What about teams that played?” I gestured around the decrepit stadium. “Who played here, for instance?”

“There was the Diamond City Demolishers. Big brutes of guys. Played in full power armour with special pneumatic arms parts for swinging. Then you had the Lexington Ladies. An all-female team, with coach Bloody Mary Sue at the helm. Highest kill count in the league. I could spend all day talking about the Concord Crushers or the Quincy Killmeisters, but you get the idea. It was a hell of a sport.”

I groaned again. “Blue?” Piper asked.

“Look, dumbass, the first part I could forgive, as you had some of the basics right. But the second part? You are one hundred percent categorically wrong in every damned instance.” I strode forward. “Move out of the way and let me explain what baseball actually was.” He actually moved off the concrete block as I stood up, a few more people stepping forward with interest, wondering what the new guy had to say.

I looked around, Piper glancing up with interest… and a warm smile. I think she might be liking me already. I didn’t mind, as she was damned cute in return. “People of Diamond City, baseball wasn’t that at all. Baseball is… was America's past time. A sport that united families on warm summer days. And it wasn't violent. Mostly. Look above you at the bleachers and the seats that once ringed this holy ground. Thousands of us would pack on a summer’s day or night and cheer on our team, consuming beer, popcorn and hot dogs. Children would wear gloves, hoping to catch a home run or, better yet, a grand slam. Families would come decked out in the gear, wearing the number of their favourite player. We’d cheer our own team and boo the opposition. We’d buy programmes and fill in the statistics. Baseball was a game of numbers and acronyms. What you wanted to score was a home run so you could round the bases. The pitcher wanted to strike you out.” I held out a hand, Moe handing me the bat. “This wasn’t used to beat people. You stood like this,” I moved and posed like the batter would, “And the pitcher on his mound would throw a baseball, hoping you’d attempt to hit and miss three times for a strikeout.” I gestured around with the bat. “You stand in what was once called Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. The team names this gentleman gave you? Bullshit. No, this was home to the Sox. And we hated the New York Yankees. You had other teams that were successful. The St. Louis Cardinals. San Francisco Giants. Brooklyn Dodgers. Everyone I knew had a soft spot for the Chicago Cubs… except White Sox fans. A few days before the bombs dropped, I was in this stadium to watch the Red Sox take a 3-0 lead in the World Series against the Texas Rangers. The day the bombs dropped, the fourth game was meant to take place which might have guaranteed our first World Series in over one hundred and forty years.” I handed the bat back to Moe. “Baseball was the great American game, something that united our civilisation, crowding around televisions and radios each night, hearing the thwack of leather on hickory, the roar of the crowds, the pride in victory and agony of defeat. I loved it. Best thing we ever invented.”

Stepping off the block, I heard Moe mutter, “I still think my version was better.”

“How do you know all that?” one of the locals asked.

“Was that all really true?” another one asked.

“I’m not sure which version I prefer being the truth,” a third stated.

“Quite a passionate speech, Blue,” Piper added.

“Look, I understand things will be lost because of what happened, but there’s no reason to spin bullshit either. I know death is a common enemy nowadays, but before the war, sport was generally bloodless.” I paused before adding, “Well, except boxing. Motor racing. And bullfighting.”

“I think the people of Diamond City have just been educated, Blue. Though I’m sure Moe will forget all about it by tomorrow.”

“If he does, he does.”

“You hungry? There’s a great little noodle stand in the middle of the city.”

“Noodles?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t think you’d still get those now. What about pizza?”

“I’ve seen signs around advertising it on old restaurants, but no, I don’t think anyone knows what this actually is.”

“Damn, I loved a good pizza. Doubt I’d find the ingredients to make one anyway. So, noodles it is.”

So we headed to the noddle stand, buying a bowl of noodles and a cold Nuka-Cola. I was amazed those were still around, though I knew they probably made millions of bottles every day, and there were probably factories full of them still if they hadn’t been found. I was scoffed two bowls as I was feeling rather hungry, having not really eaten all day. Relaxing with the rest of my drink, I looked around and nodded to myself. “Yeah, I can appreciate the fact people are giving it their best shot. Considering the world you were left with to restart everything, it’s going to take a long time to get things back to what they were once were. If ever, to be honest.”

“That almost sounds like hope, Blue.”

“Got to have some hope otherwise a world like this will just eat you up and spit you out.”

“How long are you planning on sticking around for?”

“Well, I should speak to that investigator you suggested, but...” I glanced in her direction, “I guess there isn’t a rush to do that. So, to be honest, I really don’t know. Long as I keep in regular contact with Sanctuary. If I can find some relay towers to increase the signal, it will help me the further I head south.”

“Can’t help with that, Blue. Sorry.”

“But I am going to need somewhere to sleep last night. Does the Dugout Inn have rooms?”

“They do.”

“Then I’d best go grab it.”

“I’ll meet you there a little later, if you’d like? Maybe enjoy a drink or two.”

“Sure. I’ll just hang around there, enjoy a drink, maybe listen to the radio. At least the tunes are what I remember.”

Thankfully there was a room, the two Russians who ran it being very friendly, though their accents were a surprise. There’d been plenty of Russian ex-pats living in the United States at the time, but I didn’t think many would have survived the bombs, figuring the vaults would have been reserved for ‘true-blood Americans’. Maybe their families had somehow survived above ground.

They did have a room free, which I paid a few caps for. It was sparse, of course. I checked the bed, which was comfortable enough, dumping my duffel bag under it, keeping the pistol on the table next to it, though storing my other weapons in the bag. Heading back out, it wasn’t overly crowded so bought a bottle of bourbon, grabbed two glasses, and perched myself on one of the lounges. I’d had a couple of drinks by the time Piper walked in, and I couldn’t help smile as she’d changed. When she sat down next to me, I was fairly sure she’d washed as I could smell soap, at least. Far more pleasant than most of other smells. I poured her a drink, we clinked glasses, and settled back together.

Taking a chance, I looped my free arm around her and she immediately moved a little closer, definitely grinning as I took a sip. “Can I be forward, Blue?”

“Sure.”

“I told my sister I won’t be home tonight.”

I couldn’t resist the chuckle. “So… made an impression.”

“You’re the first decent man to walk through those gates in a long time. Add to that what you’ve already done and what you might plan on doing… Shit, the people of the Commonwealth might end up owing you their lives.”

“Just one man, Piper, trying to do what’s right.” I paused before I sighed. “Doing what’s right because, before the war, when I was in Alaska, I did some stuff that… well, I think even raiders would look away. But that was the nature of the war. It was brutal and vicious. No quarter given nor received. I’m sure you have this vision of what pre-war society was like. In many ways, you would probably be right. But when it came to war? We simply found more barbaric ways of inflicting mass casualties. And the hatred from both sides bubbled to the surface constantly.”

“What you’re doing now matters, Blue. Anything that happened before the bombs doesn’t matter. I know it’s fresh in your mind, but it was over two hundred years ago. Anyone involved has been dead a long time now.”

“True. Everyone I know is gone.”

“Sounds like you’re making new friends though.”

“Made another one today, it seems.”

We enjoyed a couple of drinks and some chit-chat before she stood up, took me by the hand, and led me towards my bedroom. Kicking the door shut with my foot, we wasted little time moulding into one another, and she was one hell of a good kisser. Pressing her body into mine, she no doubt felt my reaction as she smiled for a moment as we kissed, my hands eventually finding their way to the buttons on the back of her dress as I kissed down to her neck, making her gasp. “Someone knows what they’re doing,” she breathed.

I didn’t say anything as her dress fell to the floor, revealing simple underwear, which I expected, but she was beautiful. Her black hair was a contrast to her pale skin as her hands undid my fatigues, dropping those to the ground as I stepped out of my boots, Piper having already kicked off her shoes when walking into the room. Falling onto the bed, I was… eager is the best way to put it. I wanted her naked and quickly. She found my enthusiasm amusing, giggling away as my fingers went for her bra, unhooking that with ease, throwing that away, before I removed her panties, surprised she spread her legs a little, revealing trimmed fur above her pussy, and it was obvious she was already excited.

“Do you…” she started to ask, the first time I saw or heard a hint of nerves.

“Gorgeous,” was all I could say, leaning down and kissing her hard. Reaching down to remove my underwear, I made her gasp when I prodded her with my cock, which made me smile in return. “Oh, not yet, Miss Wright. That’s for later.”

Now naked underneath me, she smelled divine. Not just soap. If I judged correctly, she may have had a little perfume on. I didn’t ask, but as I trailed down her body, feeling her hands run around the back of my head as I gave her breasts a little attention, I had a feeling she’d joined me with the express intention of getting me into bed. Again, I wasn’t going to complain at all.

Kissing down her stomach, she now looked up but wasn’t surprised as Jennifer. I think she knew what I wanted, spreading her legs a little more as I wasted no time tasting her. God, she was heavenly, immediately burying my face, causing her head to roll back as I ‘got to work’, so to speak. “Oh god!” she cried out. Guess we should have told the bar owner to turn up the volume on the radio.

I could have pleasured her pussy all night, it was so good. And she definitely loved what I was doing, though when I slid a couple of fingers inside her, she was going to go off like a rocket. “Blue!” she moaned.

“I want you to cum, Miss Wright,” I whispered, gently sliding my fingers into her, finding that special spot women had. Her body moved to the movement of my fingers as I started to tickle her clit. That made her release a loud moan, eve whimpering as I knew she was getting close.

“Oh, fuck,” she nearly shouted, no embarrassment whatsoever though. When I felt her start to squeeze my fingers, I knew she was close, balling the sheet in one hand as her back started to arch. “Oh god… oh god…”

And then she came. It was beautiful as her entire body just seemed to spasm at once, though she moved down on my fingers, almost fucking them herself, desperate for me to touch her inside over and over again. I didn’t relent on her clit either, and she rode that wave for what felt like minutes before she finally whispered for me to stop as she couldn’t take anymore. Sliding my fingers out, I definitely licked those, appreciating her taste, as I softly kissed back up her body, now a slight covering of sweat on her considering it was rather warm in the room… and she’d just had one hell of an orgasm.

Her kiss was instant, hot, and full of desire, rolling me onto my back as I felt her hot pussy rest against my cock, hands running up and down her back, skin incredibly soft to the touch. When she pulled back slightly, her eyes looking into mine, a shade of hazel green that was simply beautiful, I knew she liked me already. Well, considering she was with me in my room, naked and having just made her cum, I guess it wasn’t a surprise.

“Holy shit, Blue, where did you learn that?”

“Well… don’t want to make it awkward, but my wife and I…”

“Fulfilling sex life?”

I chuckled. “Got even better after marriage!”

“Lucky woman.”

“Lucky man too.” I looked her up and down. “Lucky again, it seems.”

“Well, I may have had an instant attraction you stepped out of the power armour.”

“I thought you were rather pretty yourself, Piper.”

Must have said the right thing, as she grabbed the base of my cock, lifted herself up and slowly slid down until I was buried inside her. God, it felt wonderful. So hot and tight, bringing her down so I could kiss her again. Feeling her shuffle, we simply fucked. Easiest way to put it. We liked and desired each other, and Piper wanted a good fuck, it seemed.

It had been a few days since I was last with Jennifer but I lasted longer than I expected. Piper loved riding my cock, that much I learned quickly. She didn’t say much, but the noises she made suggested a lot of enjoyment. “Love you pussy,” I whispered, “Whether with my tongue or my cock.” That made her blush, so I’m figuring dirty talk wasn’t a regular thing. “How much do you love my cock already?”

“The best,” she whispered.

She was no virgin, I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just mean she seemed to know what she liked already. While I might have been moving, she was certainly bouncing on me within a few minutes, and I think she was already approaching another orgasm. I gave myself a pat on the shoulder as she leaned back, giving me a full view of her body, smiling again as she had no problem enjoying herself. Licking my thumb, I gently rubbed her clit again. That earned more noise.

“Fuck me,” she moaned, so I grabbed her hip with my spare hand, held on, and really started to give it to her. I think it was a race to see who orgasmed first from there, and it wasn’t much of a surprise that I ‘won’, groaning loudly as I pumped a few times as I unloaded, but I kept going despite that until I’d made her cum a second time, and she needed to relax on my chest after that, the only sounds now of our deep breathing as we recovered.

Trailing fingers up and down her spine, she wiggled on top of me as she got comfortable. “Shit, Blue, girl is bound to get feelings quickly with that sort of performance. Though maybe you can just visit and fuck me every so often if you don’t stay around.”

“And you’d like that?”

She looked up and grinned, amused by her bright cheeks on pale skin, though her eyes sparkled in the low light. “God yes. I’m hooked already.”

I leaned forward and kissed her nose. “So am I. You’re a knockout, Piper. And I mean that from the heart.”

That was rewarded with another genuine smile as she needed to slide off me, curling into my side as I snaked an arm around her. “Was I your first since waking up?” she did eventually ask.

“No.” I didn’t add anything to that as I wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.

“Can I know… who?”

“One of the young settlers that came to Sanctuary. Cute young thing. She was interested, so was I. Happened quickly too. Guess there’s no beating around the bush nowadays. If you’re interested, you make the move.”

“It’s just sex and it’s one of the few things people can enjoy together. Unfortunately, pickings are somewhat slim around Diamond City. And… a lot of people don’t like me.”

“Why?”

“They don’t like what I write.”

“People don’t always like the truth, but that’s on them. Just be careful, Piper. I don’t want to see you kicked out of the city like what almost happened when I arrived. But keep writing, no matter what. Journalism and free press matters.”

“Thanks, Blue,” she whispered.

I gave myself ten minutes then made her giggle as I rolled over, her legs spreading automatically as I slid inside her. It was just as good as the first time, feeling one of her heels on my back as that second time lasted a lot longer, with plenty more kissing and caressing. Her neck was particularly sensitive, just running my tongue around it earning plenty of gasps, but just kissing her while we made love was enough to get us both hot and bothered.

“Blue,” she breathed. I liked the nickname already. Fingers digging into my back, I started to drive into her when I wanted to finish. She moaned and grunted a few times, both legs eventually around me as it built to another crescendo.

“Fuck,” I grunted, really starting to drive into her. I loved every time with Nora and I think I’d found a woman just as good as her. A definite reason to return to Diamond City, and depending… No, let’s not think too far ahead. This was only our first time, but it was so good, I couldn’t help think already. “I’m close,” I warned.

One of her hands snaked between us, looking down to see her rubbing her clit, looking back up and grinning. “I’m close too,” she said.

This time, she came before me, her pussy squeezing my cock nice and hard, though knowing I was close, she almost begged for me to keep going. “Need you to cum,” she said through a shudder. She got what she wanted within a couple of minutes, burying myself nice and deep as I unloaded, groaning into her ear before I basically collapsed on top of her, my head feeling rather empty for a time.

Feeling her fingers run up and down my back brought me around, lifting myself up to see a well-fucked woman with a satisfied smile on her face. We shared a kiss before I pulled back, sitting on my knees for a moment as Piper lay there without a care in the world. She truly was gorgeous. “Like what you see”?

“Definitely. Vision of beauty.”

“Keep this up, Blue…”

“Just saying what I’m seeing and thinking.”

I needed to lie down again, and it wasn’t long before we were both yawning. Great sex is fun but also exhausting. After a quick wipe down, there was a thin sheet we could cover ourselves with, lying on my side as Piper moulded herself back into me. I kissed her shoulder, which made her laugh, before relaxing with my head above hers. “So, you told your sister you won’t be home?”

“Shut up, Blue,” she said with a chuckle.

“I’m not judging. I think that speaks of high self-confidence.”

“Would you have really said no?”

“Definitely not. That’s why I was so eager to get you naked.”

“I thought the dress might have helped my chances.”

“As I said, gorgeous.”

“Interview tomorrow?”

“After breakfast, then I’ll head off to see this detective and go from there. But I won’t be a stranger just yet, Piper. I know my story around Diamond City isn’t over just yet.”

She rolled onto her other side, looking up at me. We shared one last, long, lingering kiss, before she shuffled as close to me as possible, wrapping an arm around her. I liked her a lot already. It was a faint reminder of Nora, falling into bed so quickly due to a physical attraction, but once I got to know her, everything else followed quickly.

I wasn’t going to make any rash decisions though. It was still early days.


	8. The Rescue

I think Piper was surprised with my answers during my interview. I’d sounded rather hopeful during our conversations the previous afternoon and evening, but I don’t think she was quite expecting me to keep the same tone ‘on the record’. I don’t think she was expecting overwhelming negativity, and while I said there were certain aspects that definitely needed improving, there were signs that humanity could slowly but surely recover from the catastrophe. It was just going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, and more patience that anyone probably had.

Escorting her back to her residence, her sister was outside, busy at work doing… something, though I noticed her keen eye as I dropped Piper at her front door. She definitely gasped when Piper kissed me, the sort of kiss that had her backed up against the door within seconds, and would have led to a lot more if I didn’t have to go somewhere. “Damn, Blue...”

“Yeah, you’re pretty damned good yourself, Miss Wright.”

“I’ll get to work on the piece. Trying to keep it objective… going to be difficult now.”

“Just don’t make it too fawning and you’ll be just fine.”

“If you’re still around tonight…”

“My place or yours?”

“Yours. Don’t want to keep my sister up all night with the noises I know I’m definitely going to make.”

“Geez Louise, you two should just get a room already!”

Piper looked across at her sister. “Shut up, Nat. Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Holidays, Piper. It’s nearly Christmas!”

“Damn, I forgot about that,” she muttered, before giving me one final kiss. “You go do what you need to do, Blue. Hopefully I’ll see you tonight.”

“Something to look forward to.”

She grinned as she grabbed the handle of the door, backing in before blowing me a kiss, closing it gently as I turned and walked back through the market. It was quite busy but I could only guess at how many people lived there. But they also had a farm towards the Green Monster, growing plenty of crops, though I knew they relied on trade caravans. From what I’d been told, there were up to a dozen caravans that rounded the Commonwealth, with Boston the centre obviously, and Diamond City perhaps the most important stopping point except for Bunker Hill, which was where all caravans originated.

I eventually found Valentine’s Detective Agency down one of the side alleys, walking through the door to be greeted by a small office and an attractive brunette. I didn’t think she was Nick Valentine, but I politely asked, “Is the Detective in?” When she looked up with such sad eyes and face, I couldn’t help myself, immediately stepping forward. I’m just that sort of guy, I guess. I see a damsel in distress… “Are you okay?”

“Me? No, I'm Nick's secretary. I handle his appointments, his papers, that sort of thing. Well, that's what I used to do anyway, but now Nick's disappeared, and I can't keep a detective agency open without a detective.”

I took the seat opposite her and leaned forward on crossed arms. “Okay, tell me the story.”

Her face brightened slightly. “You’ll help, just like that?”

“Tell me the details and if I think I can help, sure, just like that. If I were to go out and search, where would I find him?”

“Nick was working a case. Skinny Malone's gang had kidnapped a young woman, and he tracked them down to their hideout in Park Street Station.”

“I know where that is. Not far from Boston Common.”

“You know the area?”

“I do. I know what you’re going to ask. ‘Never seen you around before. Who are you? How do you know?’ I’ll answer those questions later. So, you think Nick headed there? Why?”

“There's an old vault down there they use as a base. I told Nick he was walking into a trap, but he just smiled and walked out the door like he always does.”

“Skinny Malone.” I couldn’t help chuckle. It was like a bad movie. “So I assume he thinks he’s some sort of gangster?”

“I don't know much about him, but he's from Goodneighbour, and that means he's in the well-pressed suits and machine guns’ school of thuggery.”

“Heard Goodneighbour mentioned before. Where or what is it?”

“Yeah, it's a tough neighbourhood. Northeast a way. People with power there care about two things: style and body count.”

“I’ve dealt with Raiders plenty of times by now. I’m sure I can handle a wannabe gangster.”

“I’ve heard he’s rather dangerous… What’s your name?”

“Nate. You?”

“I’m Ellie. Ellie Perkins.” I offered my hand, which she accepted straight away. “Pleased to meet you. Can you help?”

“I can’t say not to a pretty face, Miss Perkins. So, Park Street Station. That’s not too far away. Will be interesting to see another vault too.”

“Ah, I thought you were a vault dweller. The Pip-Boy…”

“I assume most former vault dwellers have one?” She nodded. “Well, I have a long story regarding mine. Might tell you later when I bring Nick back.” The smile she returned was ever so sweet, the sadness lingering but I think I’d made her day by offering to help. “There, that’s better. Now. Park Street Station. Missing detective. Skinny Malone. Think those are the details I need.” I stood up and walked to the door. “With any luck, I’ll be back with Nick by the end of the day, Miss Perkins.”

“Hang on, you haven’t mentioned caps…”

“Give me what you think it’s worth when I’m back.”

“Oh…”

“Last question. When did he actually leave?”

“A week ago. I knew he might be gone a day or two at most, but I just know something is wrong. If something changed, he would have at least returned to let me know what was going on.”

“Right. So they’re probably holding him hostage, perhaps waiting for someone to come looking for him. So I’d best go armed.” I definitely grinned as I added, “Good thing I have power armour then.”

Her jaw dropped slightly. “Who are you?” she asked quietly.

“Just someone trying to do the right thing. I’ll see you soon, Miss Perkins.”

I headed straight back to the Dugout Inn, grabbed the bag I’d left behind the counter, and immediately slid back inside my power armour. Good thing I remembered the layout of Boston, though I figured there’d be a few detours due to crumbled buildings. I knocked on the door of Piper’s office. It opened within seconds, and she was a little surprised to see me back in armour. “That you, Blue?”

“It is. There’s been a problem. Nick Valentine has gone missing. Miss Perkins has asked for my help.”

The smile was immediate. She had me pegged already. “Can’t say no to a pretty face, Nate?”

“Yes, I am that simple.” Still, she stood up on tippy toes and kissed my helmet. “I’ll hopefully be back safe and sound.”

“And bring back Nick safe, Blue. We like him around here. Just… don’t judge him on first appearances.”

“Huh?”

“Trust me. It’ll be fine.”

I didn’t know what she meant but I figured she meant well. She wished me good luck as I walked off, heading up the stairs, the same way I’d arrived only the day before. I’ll admit I missed the old Fenway. The freshly cut grass that would set off the allergies of quite a few people, but the green of the grass, golden sand, brown dirt, and white lines just seemed to mesh. I could probably stand there, close my eyes, and hear the roar of the crowd, the thwack of leather on hickory as another home run was scored, another base stolen, another innings completed with a strikeout. I did sigh as I walked through the open gate. I’d probably never see another game as long as I lived.

Rather than head through the ruined buildings, believing they’d be perfect places for an ambush, I headed back to the river and followed that, running into a few Raiders outside a shop, but I didn’t go in and investigate, simply wiping out those outside and keeping it in mind for later Raider removal. But it was an example of why I was circling around. I might be in power armour, but if I was walking down a road with high buildings to either side, it would only take a couple of missiles to wipe me out. Small arms fire was fine, though I knew I’d have to start carrying out maintenance, but I wasn’t invincible, and things like missiles would still kill me without a problem.

Heading back inland, I walked by the old Massachusetts State House, which seemed to be in fairly good condition, from the outside at least, before heading towards Boston Common. It was deserted, which was a slight surprise. I thought someone would have attempted to make it a defensive area. Park Street Station was just ahead, only emergency lighting illuminating the path down to the double doors. I had little idea that they’d built a vault underneath the middle of Boston.

I didn’t bother sneaking in the doors, though there was no sign of the vault just yet, walking down the non-working escalators, quickly greeted by mostly ghouls dressed in pinstripe suits, wearing fedoras or trilby’s, and generally wielding submachine guns. I returned fire with my shotgun, taking cover and I realised these had at least some intelligence.

They tried to flank me twice, but whenever they came into range of my shotgun blast, they paid the price for it. The gunfire also drew a couple more towards us, taking cover around a corner, one cresting the stairs without checking, taking a blast in the side. That caused the one coming up the stairs to pause so I simply appeared around the corner. Even the face of a ghoul showed fear and regret as I aimed and fired, sending his headless body bouncing back down the stairs.

Clipping the shotgun back in place, I picked up one of the submachine guns, giving it a once over. Like most guns I’d found so far, there was an element of care as no-one wanted a gun to jam on them. I checked bodies as usual, taking ammo, caps and anything else that might come in handy. I was tempted to take one of their hats, simply to amuse myself, but shook my head of the thought.

Heading downstairs towards the tracks, it was obviously abandoned, and ahead was sign of building work. It seemed the station had been converted into a vault, though whether it had actually been used or not, I couldn’t be sure. Not yet anyway. The tunnels were illuminated by spotlights and I could see plenty of guards in the distance. Now armed with a submachine gun of my own, I definitely grinned under my helmet as I got to work.

The first ghoul never saw me coming, taking a short burst in the chest. That grabbed the attention of everyone, gunfire soon heading in my direction. I moved from steel column to steel column, remaining in cover as much as possible. The enemy chose two options. Some dug in and fired from range. A few others tried to come closer. They simply died first, each small burst of fire aimed centre mass. No tricks. No headshots or aiming for the legs. Centre mass, a feather of the trigger, four or five bullets at most. Without armour, there was no surviving that.

Leaving behind another trail of dead bodies, I made it to the entrance to the vault and was left with the impression that it had never been used, simply because it looked in rather good condition, although I was only basing it on the entrance. Things might be different further inside.

I was left thinking this was what a vault should have been like, though, wishing I could slap my forehead at what we’d done over two hundred years ago. But in the chaos after the bombs fell, and the fact Nora had been scared and I simply wanted to reassure and keep her safe, I simply hadn’t taken time to assess the situation. Nothing had felt off, though. Everyone had been friendly, calm and reassured.

Sighing to myself, I shook my head again of the thoughts, though I guessed I’d always be plagued by doubt because of what happened. There was something familiar about the vault, at least, long corridors leading off to various rooms that would have been homes to families, with bedrooms, living rooms, showers, baths, perhaps communal areas for eating and relaxation. I ran into a few more of Malone’s guards, taking those down as quickly as possible, enjoying the cries of surprise when they saw someone coming towards them in power armour. I had a feeling it was something they didn’t experience very often.

I ended up in what was the atrium, at least by the signs I’d been following. Figuring that was the centre of the vault, I could only assume Nick would be held somewhere nearby. Maybe the overseer’s office? Remembering Vault 111, the Office of the Overseer was a fairly secure room, so if Skinny Malone had any brains, that’s where he’d store him.

The atrium was also guarded by at least half a dozen of his men, and with little cover, I could simply burst forward and shoot. I caught two of them quickly, hearing cries of surprise. “Fuck, he’s got power armour!”

“Just concentrate fire!” someone ordered.

“What the fuck do you expect us to do, Dino?!” one of the guards asked sarcastically.

“Fine, you chicken shits won’t do anything, I’ll handle this myself.”

I glanced around to see none of them were stepping out of the minimal cover they’d managed to find. Only one came straight towards me, almost running down the stairs, firing his pistol. Two of the bullets clanged off my armour but the third one embedded itself. I lifted my gun and fired, bullets spraying from hip to shoulder. The idiot went down straight away. Figuring he was someone in charge, I checked the body, taking what I needed, including what seemed to be a holotape, and wandered about, taking care of the rest. The last one begged for his life and I was almost ready to let him go… then I put a bullet in his head.

Looking through the window, I was… shocked by what I could see. Now I knew why Piper had warned me about what I might find. I had not expected a synth. He saw me through the window and approached, no doubt taken aback by the fact someone in power armour was looking at him. “Hey, you. I don't know who you are, but we got three minutes before they realise muscles-for brains ain't coming back. Get this door open. You gotta hack that terminal to open up this door. There's no lock on my end. You gotta use that terminal by the door.”

I held up the holotape. “Hacking won’t be required. I’ll have the door open in a moment.”

Sliding in the holotape, it contained the password necessary to log in and open the door. Heading inside, Nick was obviously wary despite the fact I was rescuing him, surprised when he took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. I had no idea synths would smoke. Taking a drag, he looked me up and down. “So, there a man behind the armour or am I going to speak to a tin can myself? We should have a couple of minutes for introductions.” I figured that was a fair enough request so stepped out of the armour. “Ah, so there was a human inside. Good to know.” He offered his hand. “Nick Valentine. Detective. Thanks for the rescue. I had a bad feeling a baseball bat was about to get friendly with parts of my body.”

“Nate Shepard.”

“And you’re a vault dweller. Pip-Boy gives it a way. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why the hell have you gone to all this trouble to rescue me?”

“Well, you’re rather pretty receptionist was very upset that you’d disappeared.”

“Ah, the damsel in distress routine. Don’t worry, she didn’t play you for a sucker. She’s a good friend and was obviously concerned for my safety.”

“And I need help finding Vault-Tec. There’s a rather long story behind why I’m here and I figured a detective could help me track down the information I want.” I looked around. “Let’s just say the vault I was in had nothing like this.”

“This is Vault 114. From what I know, it was still being built though never used. Wasn’t completed in time before the bombs started to fall.” He finished his cigarette. “Right, we need to beat feet and make our escape, but I can’t leave without completing the job. Since you’ve come all this way to rescue me, I’m hoping you might help me complete the job.”

“Sure. What’s the job?”

“I’ve been tracking a runaway. Hired by her parents as they believe their daughter was kidnapped by Malone and his thugs. I’ve since learned that this girl has one hell of a mean streak herself and is likely a willing companion of Malone. So we’re going to have to play this carefully. I’d rather not give the news of her death to the parents.”

“I’ll follow your lead, though I’m sure showing up in power armour will have them shitting their pants.”

“Probably. You killed Dino?” I nodded. “Damn, that might make it tricky talking down Malone. Well, we’ll just have to play it by ear.” He looked at the weapons I was carrying on my armour. “But you have enough arms to take out a small army so I think we should be okay.” He paused before asking, “You going to ask why I’m a synth?”

“I have questions. They can wait. Miss Perkins was worried. Piper told me you were solid.”

“Ah, Miss Wright. No surprise you’ve met her already.” I definitely grinned. “You didn’t?”

“She made an immediate impression. And I must have done in return.”

“Well, let’s make sure we both get back then. I’ll grab a gun from one of the bodies and we’ll make our way out.”

Following signs of the exit, we ran into more of Malone’s men on the way, mostly ghouls, all dressed in the same clothing. It was amusing to me, a reminder of the old movies I’d watched. Definitely wannabe gangsters, but they were caricatures. The way they spoke suggested they’d learned it all from the silver screen. Having Nick alongside me drew some of the fire, and he was talented with the submachine gun in his hands, making an effective team immediately. Being in power armour generally made me a bigger target, but I was smart enough to remain in cover. A couple of bullets had come far too close to going through the steel plating.

Making our way back to the entrance, we’d seen no sign of Skinny Malone, Nick suggesting he was probably waiting at the exit, some sort of grand gesture, again a sign that someone had been watching far too many old movies. We simply followed the signs, taking down the few thugs who decided to get in our way, Nick amused as I continued to pick up ammunition whenever I could. I hadn’t explained exactly what I was to otherwise, I could do that when we escaped.

“So what is all this with Malone?” I did wonder aloud.

“Malone's crew here used to be small time, muscled out of the old neighbourhood by bigger players. Until they found this place. Don't know what happened to the previous owners, but they're not exactly around to charge rent. An empty vault. Perfect hideout.”

“From the looks of it, they were still building it. Looks preserved but also like it was never inhabited.”

“I do wonder how Malone even found it. Not that I’m going to ask nor he’d likely provide an answer. But it makes you wonder…”

After putting down a couple of thugs, all was silent as we started to climb three sets of stairs, taking our time, remaining vigilant, Nick keeping his ear out for anyone approaching, but it seemed like we’d taken out most of those guarding. That meant Malone must be waiting for us to arrive with what remained of his men.

Coming to a final door, the sign above it stated the exit was on the other side. Nick and I shared a glance. “How do you want play this?”

“Long as I get you out of here alive and back to Miss Perkins, Nick. What about the girl?”

“Well, I’d rather not have to tell her parents that she’d dead. But… she’s a real piece of work. You’ll probably find out for yourself soon enough.”

“Let me walk out first, Nate. You walk out first, they’d liable to just start blasting straight away.”

“Okay, take the lead.”

He opened the door and stepped through. I followed a couple of paces behind, my eyes immediately assessing the danger. Skinny Malone stood out, the best dressed man in the vault. And Skinny was obviously a joke. Darla was beside him, wielding a baseball and a fierce look on her face. She just looked vicious but also completely out of place. I counted only four more of his men, so it looked like his gang was no more at least.

“Nicky? What're you doin'? You come into my house. Shoot up my guys. You have any idea how much this is gonna set me back?”

“I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your two-timing dame, Skinny. You ought to tell her to write home more often.”

“Awww... poor little, Valentine. Ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I'll just run back home to daddy, shall I?”

I just glared at her from behind the helmet. “Listen, toots. You are well over your head here. You think Skinny here is bad? I’ve just cut down all of his men to get Nick, and I’ve just killed a whole lot more to get out. You really want to stand there with just a fuckin’ baseball bat? Think that’s going to do a damned thing to me?” She looked around, counted the few still standing around, and a last glance at Skinny, before the bat dropped to her side. “I suggest you make yourself scarce. Wait for us outside, then we’ll take you back to Diamond City.”

Nick sighed with relief when she simply started to walk backwards, ensuring her back wasn’t turned in case Skinny decided to make an example of her. Instead, he just glanced at me. “So you shoot all of my men and now you get my girl to leave? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“Someone who is going to walk out of here with Nick at my side. The only question is will I be walking over your dead body or will I simply walk by you when doing so?”

“There’s more of us than you.”

“True, but I’ll tell you how it’s going to play out. By the time you raise your gun, I’ll have already put five bullets into your chest, centre mass. You’ll be dead by the time you hit the floor. While I do that, Nick would have put a burst into the man beside you, putting him down. Caught on the hop, the man to either side of us would have sprayed wildly. My armour would take the shots, those that hit me anyway, while they’ll probably miss Nick entirely as he would crouch, making himself a small target. Given that they are automatic weapons, and the kick of a submachine gun is awful, your men can’t hold the trigger and maintain perfect aim. That means I will be able to swing around and put a burst into the man to my left, Nick doing the same to his right. Your final man will probably want to simply drop his weapon and run after all that. I wouldn’t blame him, and I usually don’t shoot men in the back.”

“Shit, Nate, I think that might just work too.”

“So, what I’m suggesting, Mister Malone, is that Mister Valentine and I will walk out of here right now and you will let us go. You can return home to Goodneighbor with the few men remaining alive, or you can stay here. I really don’t care. But you do anything to bother me again, rest assured I will return here and wipe you out next time.”

Malone chewed on my words for a few seconds before he gestured to his men. Wisely, they lowered their weapons and I gestured for Nick to leave. As I walked by Malone, he grabbed my arm. “Think you’re all that, kid?”

“I’d be careful, Mister Malone. You’re simply playing a part in a movie in your head.”

“I ever see you again…”

“Don’t threaten me, Mister Malone. You no longer have the muscle to back it up. Just let bygones be bygones. We both get to live this day.”

He let go of my arm and I walked away, knowing they wouldn’t shoot me in the back. And if they did, the armour was just as thick, so I’d just spin around and finish the job. Darla waited for us by the remains of the station, now looking rather embarrassed by it all. We escorted her through up to the exit, and I was surprised it was still daylight. Felt like it had been a lot longer.

“Ah, look at that Commonwealth sky. Never thought anything so naturally ominous could end up looking so inviting...”

“I can imagine how those in vaults would have felt walking out for the first time,” I said. “What are we doing with her?” I asked, gesturing to Darla.

“We’ll take her back to Diamond City. I can communicate with her parents over the radio, let her know she’s safe and sound.”

Suggesting we take the long route, I led the way back to the river, keeping the submachine in hand in case we ran into Raiders or worse. Approaching the shop that had the Raiders outside it, there were a couple outside, no doubt investigating who had killed their friends. Gesturing for Nick and Darla to get into cover, I asked if I should take care of them. “You’ll take them on by yourself?”

“I cleared Lexington and Corvega Assembling Plant alone, Nick.”

“Really? Damn, I should hire you as a bodyguard. Find myself getting shot at less.” He paused. “Though that’s because they’ll be shooting at you.”

“I’ll take care of these two, see if it draws more out.”

Using the buildings as cover, Nick and Darla pressed themselves into cover as I waited until the best time to burst forward. The first Raider turned as I charged, firing his pistol wilding, missing me by miles. I slowed enough that I could aim and fire accurately, the small burst going into his gut. I added a further couple of bullets, one into his head, brushing past as the second Raider turned and fired his rifle. I heard the bullet ding off my armour as I stopped, took a knee, aimed and fired all within the matter of perhaps two seconds. He dropped with blood leaking from a chest wound.

That definitely drew attention, the door behind me slamming open and two more Raiders walking out. Spinning on the spot, a burst into the side of the first Raider, the second walking out, turning to fire in my direction. The eyes opened wide when he noticed someone in power armour, down on a knee, waiting for them to appear. I definitely grinned as the burst went from gut to throat.

Glancing towards Nick, I gestured I was going to enter. He nodded, grabbing Darla by the hand and heading in my direction. Heading inside, it was the usual case of ruin and disrepair, though quite obviously it had once been a clothing store, as there were a few mannequins lying about, shelving units containing the tattered remains of clothing. There was no-one waiting around, though a spotlight had been set up to blind anyone who had walked inside.

Figuring I might as well just clear the building before moving on, I found one Raider by himself in a back room, which had perhaps been an office at one stage. He heard me coming and was ready. I simply unhooked a grenade and threw it. Hearing him cry out in surprise, he ran towards me and took a burst of fire as the grenade exploded around a corner.

Heading upstairs, there were shouts and threats as usual, one bounding down the stairs, armed with nothing more than a pool cue. When he turned the corner and found someone approaching in power armour, he tried to turn and run away. I grabbed onto him with my left hand, arm around his neck, using him as a human shield, forcing him up the stairs. Holding a submachine gun with one hand wasn’t effective, so I dropped that for now and took out my pistol. The top floor had two Raiders, both women. If they thought I was going to hesitate, I wasn’t. Neither did they, weapons firing, the bullets hitting their colleague. He was dead within seconds, but so were they, three shots into each. The first, two centre mass, the third in the head. The second, three shots centre mass.

Dropping the body, I turned to see Nick following with Darla, handing me back my submachine gun. “Shit, Nate…”

“Raiders are nothing, Nick. I can see why they are effective against scared civilians, and those who don’t have a weapon to fight back with, but they have no training, no skill, and are, to be honest, stupid.”

As always, I checked and retrieve anything useful before I escorted the pair outside and resumed our journey back to Diamond City. It was growing dark by the time we walked back through the gate, Nick escorting Darla to his office, asking me to join him later. I headed towards the Dugout Inn, dropping my power armour at the station nearby, popping out the F.C as always, before I headed to Publick Occurrences. Knocking on the door, Piper opened it and immediately grinned upon seeing me. “Nick’s back?”

“Yeah, he’s alive. Managed to save the girl too. What a piece of work she is. I’m going to have a chat with him now but I can meet you later at the Dugout if you want?”

“Sure, I’m just putting the finishing touches to our interview article.”

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be…”

“If you’re not there, I’ll just get us a drink. Or a bottle.”

“And some food too. I’m starving. Haven’t eaten since breakfast. Is there anywhere I can wash around here?”

“Yes, there are a couple of places. The Dugout Inn has a couple of showers, and there is a communal bathroom everyone shares. Water is clean. I’ll get you some soap to use as well.”

“Thanks. I could do with a wash.”

Heading off to meet Nick, Ellie was pleased, receiving a hug for my troubles and a small bag of caps, which she tried to hand over slyly, but Nick knew I would have taken at least some payment for heading out to find him. Asking after Darla, I was told she was above us, relaxing and perhaps sleeping on one of the beds, as I was offered a seat and some coffee. Nick offered me a cigarette, which I accepted, Ellie taking one as well, the three of sitting back with a cup of hot black, sucking down a good lungful of smoke, immediately relaxing.

“Coffee and a smoke. Only one other combination beats that.”

“And what’s that?” Nick wondered.

“Sex then a smoke.” I glanced at Ellie, noticing the twinkle in her eye. She was attractive, but I wasn’t going to do anything foolish just yet. “Best way to start the morning with my wife, bless her soul. Wake up, lovemaking, cigarette, shower, breakfast, work. Definitely head out with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.”

“Your wife…” Ellie stated to ask.

“She passed due to the story I’m about to tell, Nick.”

He passed over a few more cigarettes. “Figured this might be a long story and you’ll need these to get through it.”

So I went over the same story I’d told others already. I was born before the war. Soldier of the United States Army. Saw the bombs drop. Spent a little over two hundred years frozen. Woke up to find my wife dead. Met Preston and his small group. Began to build a settlement in Sanctuary. Broadened the horizons by making allies with other farms. Headed south to clear Lexington. Left to journey south. Ran into the Brotherhood of Steel in Cambridge. Finally arrived in Diamond City and that was the story so far.

“You look good for two hundred and forty odd,” Nick said.

“Two hundred of those in a fridge probably help the complexion,” I half-joked. Earned a giggle from Ellie at least.

“So you’re looking for Vault-Tec? They had a building in Boston, I know that much. I’m just not sure it will contain the answers you seek. But I’m willing to help.”

“I found information about Vault 111 while I was escaping. We were a science experiment. The vault was a lie otherwise. So I’m wondering if we were the only one. That vault we visited today, 114, I almost wonder under what ideal that would have been. Would it have been sanctuary for those escaping the bombs, or some other sadistic experiment taken upon people who were simply trying to survive? If their HQ holds answers, then at least that will put my mind to rest.”

“Okay, I think we have a few avenues of investigation worth perusing. First, we head to Vault-Tec and find out what we can there. Second, you visit Vault 81 and ask them questions. Very few outsiders are allowed inside, but they do trade with the outside world. But they generally ask for trade just to enter, so expect them to ask for something in return for being allowed in. Third, we can find out if there are more vaults around. I know of 81 and 114, you are from 111. I am aware of one to the far south-west of here. Vault 95 I think it is. I’m not aware of others, at least none that come to mind, but if anywhere will have a list, it’s Vault-Tec. When do you want to head there?”

“As soon as possible, as I would like to return to Sanctuary at some point.”

“I’m amazed by what you’re doing there, Nate,” Ellie stated, her tone one of unfettered admiration, “Very few people step up and do what is right simply because it’s the right thing to do.”

“As I said, it’s a sense of responsibility. Apart from a few ghouls, I’m the only one who was alive when the bombs dropped. If I can help rebuild, even a fraction of what was lost, then I can sleep easier.”

“Where are you staying?” Nick asked.

“The Dugout Inn. I booked the room for a few nights.”

“Okay, how about we leave tomorrow morning? I have a vague idea of where the building is. I think it’s actually near where we were today.”

“Good enough for me. I’d rather not have to travel in power armour all the time. If the road has been cleared, then I can finally wander around.”

“If you’re worried about protection, the market might have some armour.”

“Combat armour?”

“Hmmm… Maybe, and it’ll be worth a lot of caps. You’re proficient with a weapon though. Certainly better than the idiots we usually run into. Only Gunners might prove a concern. They’re not as wild as Raiders, and do have an element of training and skill. Still nothing more than mercenaries though. Perhaps even more brutal than Raiders too.”

“I’ll take a look, but I’ve got a couple of decent weapons at my disposal now.”

“Okay, tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock by the chapel.”

Heading towards the Inn, I stopped by the market and checked what was on offer. There was a combat chest piece, but the price being asked was more caps than I had, so I had to decline. I wasn’t interested in anything leather, that wouldn’t stop a bullet. I did look at one or two metal pieces, but a rap on it with my knuckles suggested the pieces were not exactly thick. Nothing like my power armour. That was thick steel, more than capable of stopping most bullets.

Walking into the inn, Piper had already taken a place on one of the lounges, so I sat next to her as she poured me a glass of bourbon. If there was one thing the Commonwealth wasn’t short on, it was booze. And Nuka-Cola. And guns and bullets. Food wasn’t plentiful but there was enough to go around.

We had perhaps two before she grabbed my hand and led me off to the room I’d booked. Once I’d locked the door, I stripped her naked, threw her on the bed, and just devoured her body. There is no greater feeling as a man than making a woman cum hard and cum often. I spent what felt like a couple of hours between her legs. I revelled her taste and scent, the noises she made was music to my ears, the way her body responded to everything I did.

She had to ask me to stop in the end, kissing up her body before she took my hand and held it to her neck, feeling her heartbeat thunder along. Then she kissed me, and it was the sort that made my cock even harder if possible. Little wonder I slid it inside her and lasted barely two minutes before I enjoyed an orgasm of my own. And less surprise that I stayed hard as I rested above her, skin shining in the low light as she was covered in sweat.

“Damn it, Blue…”

“What?”

“Do that too often and a girl is bound to get attached.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry, not expecting commitment. You have your own life.” I felt her squeeze my cock, smiling away as she did so. “But I’m definitely enjoying your cock inside me. And I think the length of time you spent buried between my legs suggest you just love my pussy. Is that right?”

“God yes.”

She wanted more, ending up on my back as she rode me nice and hard, and since I’d cum, I was going to last quite a while. I just watched her, a smile on my face, as she had no shame in making plenty of noise, waxing lyrical about how good I felt inside her. Always make you feel good as a man when a woman lets you know how good you feel inside her, how large, how thick, all those sort of things. She lasted a long time, again experiencing more than one orgasm, before she leaned forward and kissed me again, running my hands down her wet back as I put a firm hand on each cheek, earning a grin. “Am I getting fucked now, Blue?”

“Like this or you want to switch?”

When she got off and onto her hands and knees, I could only grin as I got behind her, sliding in as I leaned forward, lips to her ear. “You have a fabulous arse as well, Miss Wright,” I whispered.

She kissed my cheek as I leaned back, then brought her back so she could rest against my chest, turning her head to kiss me as I started to thrust into her. With one hand resting on her breast, I used my free hand to fondle her clit, which made her gasp. “My god, Blue, I’ve lost count…”

“I’ll admit; I love the noises you make.”

It made her giggle, at least. “I’m going to sleep like the dead tonight.”

She eventually leaned forward as I did the same resting just above her, and she asked me to really give it to her. So I did, pumping hard and fast, the sound of my skin slapping against hers, the usual sounds of hard, fast, sweaty sex. I think this one was just about me, and it didn’t take long for that old familiar feeling began to return. “Fuck, Piper…” I muttered.

“Keep going, Blue. I love the feeling as well.”

I lasted another couple of minutes before I buried myself a final time and just exploded, or that’s what it felt like. They would have definitely heard my groan outside. And once I was done, I just had to roll off, landing on my back next to her, feeling incredibly lightheaded as I felt one of her arms loop over my chest. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” I whispered.

I felt her soft lips on my cheek. “Yeah, I think that’s it for now, Blue. I can’t take anymore.”

I glanced her way and grinned. “Well, I think we can consider it job done then.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to walk. My legs feel like jelly.” She laughed to herself before snuggling into me, looping my right arm around her as she rested her head on me. “You won’t be a stranger, will you?”

“No, I have a feeling I’ll be here often. Why don’t you come with Nick and I tomorrow?”

“You sure?”

“I think it might prove quite the story. And I can only assume everyone can handle themselves out there.”

“I can handle a weapon. And I’ve been under fire more than once. You can’t travel anywhere without the possibility of running into someone who wants to murder, kidnap… or worse…” I felt her shudder, and the word or topic didn’t need to be mentioned. I had a feeling it was something that happened often, again due to the lack of law and order. And when base desires take hold… “Still, I have a feeling that whenever I’m with you, I’ll be safe.”

“It’ll be nice to have some company too. I’ve spent most of my time travelling alone.”

“We’ll have a wash tomorrow. I asked Vadim and they do have a working shower.”

“Haven’t had company in that way in a long time now.”

“Well, something to think about until then, at least.”

Little surprise she fell asleep before me. I’d definitely worn her out. It took me a little longer to drift off, wondering what I would discover the next morning. Was it going to be a grand conspiracy? Was I just unfortunate when it came to Vault 111? Or was I going to reach a dead end and be left with more questions and no answers. I stopped thinking about it and eventually fell asleep.


End file.
